


Markiplier X Reader

by KKTSkittykodama



Category: markiplier - Fandom, youtube - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-10 07:37:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 39,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3282299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KKTSkittykodama/pseuds/KKTSkittykodama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are a 22 year old girl and a proud writer. Your life is pretty normal, or at least to you, until one day when you meet a certain Iplier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Dammit! Why am I always kicked out of places to live?! Shit. It's fucking cold out here too._

 

I was walking through a park and it was like the middle of winter as well. I had my messenger-bag on one shoulder, my guitar case on the other, and my suitcase in my hand.

 

_Get a real job? Yeah right, I do have a real job and it pays just fine. I'm a writer and proud of it! When I'm not writing stories, I'm writing songs. Then again, a song can hold a story as well._

 

A small gust of wind nipped at my face with an icy breeze. Other than my face and fingers, I wasn't cold. I was wearing my big hoodie and it was made of fleece. The hoodie came down to my knees, making me look shorter and younger than I actually was.

I finally came up to an empty bench and sat down. It felt so good to be able to rest after all of that walking. I took out my guitar and began to strum random chords, something I do when I'm bored. After a while, I shadow stood over me. I stopped my strumming and looked up. In front of me stood a tall male. He wore glasses, had messy black hair, and some cute stubble on his chin. He wore normal jeans, a jacket, and a red scarf. It was Mark aka Markiplier.

"Uh, hey." I said shyly.

"Hi. Sorry if I was interrupting you. I was enjoying your music." He gave me one of his warm smiles.

 

_Someone enjoys my music? Mark enjoys my music?! Yay!_

 

"Thank you. No, you weren't interrupting. I can play more if you like."

"Really? Cool!"

"You can sit next to me too, if you want." He gave a nod and sat next to me on the bench. He looked so cute with his scarf and floofy hair. I went back to strumming and couldn't help humming as well. I was enjoying the fact that someone actually was enjoying something that I did. Also, that someone was a person that I respect and look up to.

"Achoo!" I let out a loud sneeze before a shiver shakes my body.

"Bless you."

"Thank you. It's a bit nippy out here."

"Yeah it is. Say, why are you out here with all of your things anyways?"

"Oh." I sent my guitar down.

"I was staying at a hotel, waiting for an opening for an apartment, but I was kicked out." Mark gave me a sad look.

"Oh no, don't worry about me. I'm fine. It's not the first time this has happened."

"You can stay with me if you want."

"I can? You sure that's a good idea? You don't know me."

"I could get to know you."

"Smooth."

"Besides, you already know me. You are wearing a Markiplier hoodie."

"Point. How do you know that I'm not a crazed butt stabber though?"

"Just going to test my luck out then." Mark and I shared a small laugh before I began to gather my stuff.

"Well then, I'll take you up on your offer. Thank you." Before I could grab my suitcase, Mark got it.

"Allow me to assist." We began to leave the park and soon we made it to his apartment. It was so much warmer in there then where I was. I set my stuff down, took off my shoes, and crash on the couch. I let out a small sigh of relief.

"You must be tired. How long were you out there?" I sat up.

"Don't know but I do know that I'e been walking for at least 2 hours. Again, thank you so much." Mark sat next to me.

"No problem miss....."

"Sorry. Y/n is my name."

"Miss y/n. No problem miss Y/n." My cheeks had a small dust of pink on them but I didn't know why.

"I have an idea. I'm 25 years old."

"I'm 22."

"I was born and raised in Cincinnati Ohio."

"I don't know where I was born but I grew up in different places."

"Really? Like where?"

"Texas, New York, Arizona, Florida, Seattle, and London. This is also my first time in California."

"London?"

"Yeah. I went there for college. I just finished not too long ago."

"Oh. What did you study?"

"Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology."

"Wow. You must be really smart then."

"Not really. PC or console games?"

"A gamer too? PC games."

"Me too. My favorite game is a console only one though."

"Which game?"

"Okami."

"Okami?"

"Yeah. You play as wolf, who was male and made of stone but is not stone anymore and is female and you are also a god and you have magic ink and-Dont give me that look. It's an awesome game!"

"Ok, ok, ok. Maybe I should play it for my channel."

"I don't know. The first 18 minutes of it is the introduction and story, it's very dialogue heavy, has three long arcs, and just takes a long time to finish in general."

"How long? 9, 10 hours?"

"Try between 20 and 30 for a speed run. 40 to 50 on a non-speed run."

"Wow."

"Yep, but it is a really fun game though, and I love the story of it so much. If you want to play it though, I can help you."

"Sure! That sounds awesome! I can get the game and we can play it sometime this week!" Mark shouted, all excited.

"Totally." So, the next few hours was just Mark and I telling jokes, stories and playing games. Soon, I began to feel tired as it was getting late and I did a lot of walking earlier. Finally, sleep over came me and I fell asleep on Mark's comfy couch.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up to the smell of bacon the next morning. I let out a yawn and sat up. I was still on the couch, in the living room, and a red blanket was draped over me. Mark peeked his head out from the kitchen.

"Morning sleepy head. Do you want eggs and bacon?"

"Morning Mark. Yeah, that sounds nice. Thank you." He gave a nod and went back to the kitchen. I stretched my arms over my head and stood up.

"Mark, I'm going to go change in your bathroom, ok?"

"Ok! Remember to reverse gyrate your hips out of it for safety!" Mark shouted from the kitchen.

"I will!" I grabbed a clean shirt and pants, and went into the bathroom. Once I was done changing, I gave my hair a brush to make it look semi-decent. Then I left the bathroom the way Mark wanted me to do. I went into the kitchen and sat at the table. As I watched Mark finish making break feast, my mind began to wonder.

_How did I get this lucky? I mean, not only do I have roof over my head right now, but I also get to spend time with my hero._

"So y/n, are you hungry for the best break feast ever made?" Mark let out a small laugh after his question as he plated both of our plates. My stomach let out a loud growl suddenly. Both Mark and I were quiet for a moment before laughing loudly.

"Does that answer you question?"

"Yes. Yes it does." Mark and I dug into our food, which was delicious.

"So y/n, I have some videos to record today. You can watch TV down here if you want, or go out for a walk."

"Cool! I'll probably just continue my writing."

"You write?"

"Yeah. When I'm not writing lyrics, I'm writing stories."

"That's cool! Can I read one of your stories?"

"Uh, sure, if you want. They aren't that good though."

"I'm sure they're great."

"Thank you. I think you may like 'My World'. It's short though." Mark gave a nod. His face looked like that of an excited child, then again, he almost always looks that way. Soon, we finished our food and I went to the sink to clean my plate.

"I pull it out for you right now if you like."

"You said it was short, right?"

"Yep. About a page and a half. Maybe two pages."

"Cool. I'll read it right now then."

"Yay." I dried my hands off and went to my messenger bag. I pulled out one of my notebooks and flipped to correct page. I then handed it to Mark.

"This is it. Sorry if you can't read my handwriting."

"Woah! This notebook is full!"

"Yeah. I have two others in my bag. I tend to write a lot when I'm bored."

"Cool. Everything looks so cool in your handwriting."

"It does? I always thought my handwriting was messy."

"It looks cool to me. It's like half print half cursive."

"Th-thank you."

"I'm reading 'My World', right?"

"Yep. You can anything else to, if you want that is." Mark gave a nod and began to read. I saw that his plate was empty so I decided to wash both it and the pans he used earlier.

"Oh y/n, you don't have to do that. You're the guest."

"I know. Just let this be my way of thanking you for letting me spend the night here." Mark went back to reading and I began to feel very nervous having someone read my work. Especially since that someone was my hero.

_Calm down y/n. You are an adult. Adults don't worry about childish things......right? Right, but they do worry about important things and my work is very important to me. That's why Mark cares so much about his work.Youtube and his fans are very important to him._

Once I was done with the dishes, I dried my hands off.

"It's really good y/n."

"Huh?"

"Your story. Your story is really good. I was hooked at the very beginning."

"Uh...." I began to get flustered up since I wasn't used to compliments.

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it." I looked at the clock, checking the time.

"You should get to work on your videos."

"Huh......ok. Hey y/n, is it alright if I do a dramatic reading of this?"

"No! I-I mean yes. I mean....no Mark. I don't feel comfortable about that. Sorry." I looking away, embarrassed by my sudden outburst. Mark placed his hand on my shoulder.

"It's ok y/n. I understand. You don't have to apologize and thank you for letting me read it." Mark gave my shoulder a pat and shower me one of his warm smiles before he left to go record some of his videos.


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a few hours and every sound that Mark made was muffled because of his sound proofing. Suddenly, there was a loud scream of fear. Before I could blink, I was up the stairs, down the hall, and about to open the door to Mark's recording room. My whole body became rigid when I realized what I was about to do. I pulled my hand away and took a deep breath in and out.

 

_Calm down y/n. Mark is not in any danger. Don't interrupt him. Dammit, that was close though._

 

I let out a quiet sigh as my body relaxes.

"And I will see you, in the next video. Bye bye." I waited a few seconds before lightly knocking on the door. Mark opened the door and gave me a smile.

"Is everything ok?"

"I could ask you the same. I heard you scream from all the way downstairs."

"I'm fine. Just a stupid jumpscare. That's all."

"I'm swear, you're going to get a heartattack one of these days." Mark let out a laugh and ruffled my hair.

"Hey, thanks for the concern. Want to watch me edit?"

"Sure! Sounds interesting." Mark looked so excited. He pulled me into the room and sat in his sat. There was a second chair next to him so I joined him. Mark began to explain to me what he was doing and why and what they did. He was like a little kid telling you all about their day at school. Then, he began to record another video and I made sure I was out of the shot. The game was 'Whack Your Boss'. During the whole game, I was trying not to laugh at Mark's reactions. Finally came the scissor choice.

 

_Oh no._

 

I saw Mark flinch and he began to freak out a little. Poor Mark. He finished the game, did his outro and then let out a sigh.

"Dammit. That was......was............huh? Are you ok y/n?"

"Y-yeah. Just not prepared for that."

"Me too. That one with the neck was the worst!"

"Yeah. Have fun editing that."

"Oh I will, because you will be joining me."

 "Oh Mark, how can you be so cruel?" I asked dramatically. Mark began to laugh.

"Let's get this done and over with then."

"Ok. Maybe afterward I can read you one of my stories."

"That sounds great. Can I pick the story?"

"Sure."

"Yay!" Mark clapped his hands and let out a small laugh. As Mark edited his video, I looked through my notebook to find a good story for Mark.

 

_Dammit. I don't have any nice or happy stories. All I have are creepy, sad, or poorly written ones. Also, a lot of them are unfinished. Oh well. Mark is picking one for me to read anyway. Hey, I remember this one._

 

I had a content smile on my face as I read some of my older stories, remember what was going on around me when I wrote them. I didn't notice Mark staring at me for a few moments.

"You ok Mark?"

"Yeah. Good memories?"

"From what I can remember. So, is the video done?"

"Yep. Just let me upload it and you can read me one of your stories."

"Cool." I set my notebook down on the desk and leaned back into the chair. Once the video was uploaded, Mark looked through my notebook until a title caught his eye.

"Can you read this one?" Mark asked as he held the notebook to my face. The title was written in my half-print and half-cursive and it still looked as messy as I remembered. 'The Team'.

"Uh sure. I will say that this is a lot longer than 'My World' ok?"

"Ok. Hey, you can read a little bit every day."

"Sure. Sounds like a plan."

"Here." Mark handed me my notebook. I crossed one of my legs over the other with the heel on the leg. Mark sat in his seat, looking so excited, it was really adorable. I then cleared my throat before I spoke.

"A team. We met one by one and grew a bond. We met in the grass, near the pond, over by the shadows, and in the forest. We all have differences and arguments. We fought together, each other, and for each other. We grew from it all. With each battle we faced, we grew as individuals and as a team. Some hated the water, while others thrived in it. Some couldn't stand the heat, while others sparked the flame. We stood by each other's side. Cheering them on and keeping an eye on them." I stopped my reading and closed the notebook. Mark gave a small pout and I could have sworn I heard a whine.

"Mark, don't give me that look. I'll read more tomorrow ok?"

"Ok. It sounds good though."

"Th-thank you."

"You know what?"

"Chicken butt?"

"Yes and maybe we can go to Gamestop tomorrow to grab a few games. You can get Okami and we can play it."

"Totally rad man. You will so enjoy the game."

"Can't wait."


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Mark and I went to Gamestop to buy a certain game. As I asked the guy at the register if they had 'Okami', Mark was browsing the isles, looking for other games to buy.

"Yes we do. We have some in the back. I'll go get one, I wont be too long." I gave a nod and waited.

"Oh my god! It's Markiplier!" I turned and saw three girls surrounding Mark. Well, more like two since the third one has some distance between them. Mark was happily talking to the two fangirls while the third one walked toward my way, looking a little sad. When she got closer, I was able to tell that was more disappointed than sad.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

 

_I think I know what's wrong but I want to double check first._

 

She looked up at, clearly not knowing that I was here or that someone cared. She seemed to be about 12 or 13 years old. She had short blonde hair that was starting to become dirty-blonde and it stopped at her ear. She had a side bang that was being pushed away by her thick black rimmed glasses that looked rather nice on her. She had brown eyes that looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where. She was wearing loose blue jeans, black converse, a black T-shirt, and a blue jacket.

"Huh? Yeah. Just my friends are being......"

"Fangirls?"

"Yeah. Fangirls. I just wanted to thank him for helping me through my depression but he looks like he's busy. Besides, I didn't want to disturb him. He probably wasn't excepting fans to see him."

 

_Bingo. I was right. I know this feeling all to well. I remember seeing Mark at Cons but not having the courage to even say 'hi'. I didn't know what to say either. I got lucky in being able to meet him though. I need to make sure that she doesn't miss her chance._

 

"Depression. Mark helped me too. Come on, he's not too busy to meet a cool fan like you. Besides, Mark loves and cares for his fans, all of them. He's tries to reach out to as many as he can."

"I-I just don't what to say. I don't want to bother him."

"Why do you think that you'll bug him?"

"Because people have told me that I bug them, a lot."

"You're not bugging me. Besides, you seem pretty cool." I said with a smile.

"Th-thank you." I looked over and saw the two girls leaving, not even looking or acknowledging their 'friend'. She noticed too and a frown appeared on her face and her shoulders slumped a little.

"Looks like they left you behind."

"They always do. Just like everyone." She mumbled the last part but I heard it.

 

_Poor thing. I know what it like to be left behind. To be forgotten. To feel as though no one cares. I don't want  her to feel that way. No one should._

 

"Well, they aren't very good friends. True friends would care about you."

"They don't."

"They why do you hang out with them?"

"So I at least have someone."

"Oh dear. Wouldn't you rather be with someone who makes you feel as though someone cares than be with other people and feel alone?"

"Yes but who?" I thought for a moment before holding out my hand to her.

"Y/n. My name is y/n and I'll be that someone." I gave her a warm smile. She stared at me for a moment before shaking my hand.

"Lauren. Thank you."

"It's nice to meet you Lauren and no problem." The man came back, holding the game case.

"I'm so sorry for taking so long." I turned to face the man.

"It's perfectly ok. I'm just glad that you didn't get lost hahaha." We shared a small laugh. I saw Lauren starring at a Pokemon game.

"Hey Lauren?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want that Pokemon game?"

"Well....I....uh...."

 

_She does. She just doesn't want me to 'waste' my money on her. Sweet little thing._

 

"Can I also get that Pokemon game as well?"

"Of course. Okami for the Playstation and Pokemon Omega Ruby for the 3Ds. That will be $52.95 please."

"Here." I gave the man a $50 and I was getting a few dollars out of my wallet when Lauren beat me to it by placing three of her own dollars on the counter. Once paid, I handed Lauren her game and she gave me a smile.

"Thank you so much."

"No problem. Now wait one second. Hey Mark?!"

"Huh?" Mark poked his out from one of the ilses.

"Yes?"

"Find anything?"

"Nope. Hey, who's your new friend?" Mark asked as he walked toward us. Lauren let out a small squeak and hid behind my leg.

 

_This feels so familiar but why? Never-mind that._

 

"This is Lauren."

"Hi Lauren. I'm Mark. It's nice to meet you." Mark stuck his hand out and was wearing his sweet, friendly smile. Lauren came out from behind my leg and shyly shook his hand and returned the smile with a smaller but just as strong one.

"Very nice to meet you too. It's getting late. Thank you again Miss y/n for the game. Bye." She gave a small wave and ran off.

 

_She looks so familiar but from where?_

 

"Got what we need?" Mark's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Yep. Let's get going."

"Oh, and you didn't have to pay for it."

"I know but I wanted to." With that, we left the store and made it back to Mark's place. Mark got everything set up and we loaded up the game.

"Hey y/n, is it ok if I record us?"

"Do you think your fans would be cool with it?"

"I'm sure they will. My fans are cool people." I instantly remember Lauren.

"They are. Anyway, lets get this started." We sat on the couch and Mark hit record.

"Hello everybody and welcome to Okami. This game was recommended  by some of you and from what I heard, it seems like a cool game. Now then, as you can see I am not alone. I joined here by a friend of mine, y/n."

"Hey everyone. I'm y/n and I will be helping Mark through this game since there are certain parts that needs a lot of thinking. Not saying that Mark isn't bright, just that certain things need some extensive knowledge. Also, this game has a lot of references that are really cool or at least to me. Even the title is a reference. Now then, I'm sure a lot of you are tired of my blabbering. Lets begin the game!" Mark and I played for about an hour before taking a small break. I was explaining each reference the game made to either Japanese culture, mythology or anything in general. Mark was enjoying the story, gameplay, and all the little tid bits as well.

"Man, this will be a pain to edit but it will be so worth it."

"Yeah. Just wait until the story gets really kicking."

"You said that there are three arks right?"

"Yep."

"Well, which is your favorite?"

"Hmmmmmm that's a tough one. The first ark was really well done with the final boss but the second ark has some of my favorite abilities and the to bosses you fight are pretty cool, but the the third ark as a really good way of ending it all and tying them together. Hmmmmmmm I would say the....... third ark. I was sad when it ended but it ended so well. Most stories that have multiple story line in them have a hard time ending them correctly and nicely but Okami did a wonderful job at it. It's hard to explain without spoiling anything."

"Well, I can't wait to find all of this awesomeness out then!"

"It will take a while though."

"It's worth the wait with how excited you sound." 


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey y/n?"

"Hmmm?" Mark was at his computer, editing the Okami episode and I was sitting next to him, watching.

"How many episodes do you this will take?"

"Well, when Cry played it, his series was about 40 episodes."

"40? How long were his episodes?"

"Between 30 to 40 minutes."

"Wow."

"Well, do you want to play the whole way through?"

"Of course. I want to know this story."

"Yay. Oh and wait until you meet Waka."

"Wa-what?"

"Waka. He's one of my favorite characters."

"One of?"

"You can't have just one. Issun is pretty cool too. His backstory and ark is very interesting." Mark gave a nod and went back to editing. After a while, Mark's stomach let out a growl.

"Want me to order pizza?" I asked as I slowly got out of my seat. His stomach responded with a louder growl.

"Please. Thank you y/n" I let out a small laugh and left the room. Once in the hallway, I dialed up the closest pizza place and placed our order. As I waited for the food to arrive, my mind began to wonder.

 

_Why did Lauren seem so familar? Have I met her before? Hmmmmmm. I did travel a lot so maybe she's just a random face........No. She can't be a random face. I know that we met before but, where or when? I don't want to rake through my memories though. Then again, there isn't much to rake through. I always blocked everything out and just surrounded myself in my own world of music and stories. I need to stop doing that or else I will have no memories of my life, just the lives I created.  It's almost as if I never lived._

 

"Maybe I never did?"

"Never did what?" My shoulders jerked and I let out an 'eep'.

"Woah, woah, woah. I'm sorry y/n. Didn't mean to startle you." I let out a sigh and my shoulder relaxed. I gave Mark a smile.

"It's ok. So, did you finish?"

"Yeah. So what were you talking about earlier?" I suddenly felt as though I was under pressure but I didn't know why.

"Well......uh....... just random thoughts, that's all." Mark didn't look like he believed me but he decided not to push it. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that." Mark gave my shoulder a pat and went to the door. I followed close behind, almost like a child would to a father.

 

_Father?..........Stop it y/n. You already accepted it._

 

Mark handed me the two boxes of pizzas and I set them on down on the table while he payed the delivery man. Once payed for, Mark got out two plates and sat on the couch, eating his slices. I joined him after I got mine.

"Sheesh Mark. Eating three slices, you must be hungry"

"I'm a growing man."

"Yeah, a growing man-child."

"Hey, I'm a cute and lovable man-child." I let out a quiet sigh and wore a small smile.

"So, are you only going to eat one slice? You haven't eaten much all day."

"Nope. I'll be having more after this."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yeah. I've had friends who would almost starve themselves because they weren't 'thin' enough. A lot of them got sick and it hurt to see them in pain." I whipped my hands clean before giving Mark a hug.

"You're the same caring goofball off-screen as you are on-screen. Also, I understand the pain. I even lost a few friends because the world told them they weren't 'thin' enough or beautiful or they weren't what they were supposed to be. They were though. They were all fine just how they were because, they were themselves. It's hurts seeing someone fall and you can't do anything about it even if you tried. I know certain people who see the world as being so harsh and cruel that they are willing to blind themselves. Rather it be literally or in a figurative manner. It's scary sometimes." I pulled away from the hug and gave Mark a smile.

"The fact that you care so much, that you try so hard, that you do what you can to help, means so much and is just so amazing that I don't know how to express it. All I do know is that you are a good person. You believe in not just yourself but also your fans. You help us believe in themselves and the world. You help us through our own darkness that we believed no one else could, not even ourselves. Mark, I'm sorry about all of this rambling but, don't let anyone tell you that you don't do anything with your life because you have done so much, words can't even explain it. Only the smiles that you bring can. Thank you so much." Mark stared at me for a moment, processing what I said before smiling and even letting out a few tears. He then pulled me into a hug and gave my back a pat.

"I should also be thanking you. You and the rest of my fans helped me through my time of darkness. I can easily say that YouTube was one of the best thing to ever happen to me. How I effect you is the same way you effect me. You are a good person as well." This time, Mark pulled away from the hug and gave me a warm smile.

 

_Who would have thought that pizza would bring up this whole speech? Wait, I'm a good person? That's a first. Maybe there is a happy ending to my tale after all._

 

For the next hour or so, Mark and I ate more pizza, told jokes and watched a movie.


	6. Chapter 6

I was cleaning up the mess we made when Mark called me into the living room.

"One moment!"

"Ok!" I washed and dried my hands before leaving the kitchen. Mark was on the couch, holding my notebook.

"You want me to read more?"

"Yep" I sat down next to him.

"Ok, more storytime."

"Yay!"

_So adorable._

"As time went by, we grew stronger but also, we grew more distant. At the beginning we needed each other for strength but now, we no longer need help, or so we thought. We had stood above many, not even our own weaknesses stood against us. More and more fights broke out between us though. I don't know why but we wanted to know who was the strongest. Who was the best?"

"No one is the best though." Mark muttered.

"True but this team seems to fail to see that." Mark gave a nod.

"Do you want to keep reading?" I asked.

"Yeah. I enjoy listening to your voice." My cheeks turned pink and Mark looked shocked at what he said.

"I mean, you have a great reading voice. It feels as though I'm there." Mark added quickly. I gave a little nod.

"Th-thank you." Mark was sitting next to me but he scooted little bit away. I gave a little couch before continuing reading.

"A victor never appeared though. We all had strengths and weaknesses that clashed. Are we a team? Sure we spend time together but do we fight the same battles? We can battle the same enemy but is it truly the same fight? Some battle speed. Am I fast enough to get the first hit? Others with power. Can I take them down before they take me down? We no longer walk the same path. We no longer stand together or as one. We stand alone and divided." I closed the notebook and let out a sigh.

"You sure you want this story? Wouldn't you rater listen to a happier story?"

"I like this story. Besides, I want to know what happens to this team and who's in it."

"You do?" I asked as I tiled my head to the side. Mark gave my head a pat.

"Yes, I do."

"Th-thank you."

"So y/n, you know how Christmas is little bit more than a week away?"

"Yeah."

"Well I'm going home to see my family for the holidays. Now then, if an apartment doesn't open up for you by then, you are more than welcome enough to stay here."

"Really? I an stay here? You sure? I wouldn't want to be a bother."

"You're not a bother. It's perfectly ok."

"Thank you Mark. Thank you so much." Mark gave me a smile before standing and stretching.

"It's getting late. I'm going to bed. We can record more Okami tomorrow. Night y/n."

"Night Mark." Mark then left for his bedroom. I grabbed my hoodie, shoes, one of my notebooks, and my guitar.

_The night is usually when I write or practice my songs. I don't want to disturb Mark so I'll go outside. I needed fresh air anyway. I shouldn't be out too long though._

I left the apartment and went to the park. Once there, I sat on a bench and opened my notebook to a blank page.

_Hmmmmm. It was a late day......No. How about: It was a dark day.....Yeah. That sounds nice. It was a dark day, day of lost faith. Ok. Lets see how that sounds._

"It was a dark day, day of lost faith.....Ok, so if I add some chords to that, it should flow better." So, for the next hour I sang lines and played chords. Bit by bit, adding more to the song and it's story. Before I could finish it though, it became too cold to stay outside so I made my way back to the apartment. Once inside I set my stuff down and layed down on the couch.

_Let's see what I got...... **It was a dark day, day of lost faith. I wasn't the person I thought I'd be. Can't anyone relate to me? There's nothin left to see. So I'll take a walk round, the edge of town. Think of leaving it all behind. Then I find, a little letter fell, fell right out of the sky. I looked up to a fright of my. A young girl hovered way up high. I thought myself crazy, when I saw her waving. Then simply fly, my attention taking. I look down to my hands, where the letter lay. Inside I find words to make my heart dance. It say,**  ........Not bad. Can't wait to finish this. I hate leaving a story unfinished. I'll just rest my eyes for a moment._

I let out a yawn. Before I could stop, I fell into a deep sleep, on the couch, with my notebook open to the page of my unfinished song. Morning came but I was still asleep and Mark came down the stairs and saw me. He placed a blanket over my body, again, and took notice to my notebook. He couldn't help himself and he read what was written, the unfinished song.


	7. Chapter 7

I finally woke up to the sound of soft humming. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked away the fuzziness. I then let a out a small yawn and sat up.

"Huh? Oh. Sorry for waking you up y/n." Mark was sitting on the ground, reading a notebook. I let another yawn.

"It's ok. Whatcha' readin?" Mark handed me the notebook.

"It's well written, a little sad though. Poor thing." I didn't know what Mark was talking about until I read the written lines.

"Oh shit. This is my song." I looked to my left and notice the red blanket.

"And that's a blanket. Thank you Mark, again."

"You do know that there is a guest bedroom for you, right?"

"Yeah, I was just tired yesterday." Mark stood up and stretched.

"Well, I'm going to make us some breakfast. After that, you up for recording my Okami?"

"Sure. Is it ok if I play my guitar?"

"Of course." With that, Mark went into the kitchen and I grabbed my guitar.

 

_Let's see......what was the flow of the song again?..............Oh! Got it._

 

I adjusted my hands and began to strum, picking up where I left off at.

**"I thought myself crazy, when I saw here waving. Then simply fly, my attention takin. I look down to my hands, where the letter lay. Inside I find the words to make my heart dance. It say; Isn't it great to be different? Isn't wonderful to be exactly you are? When you start learning to accept yourself, you'll find you'll shine. To this day that writing on that page, is mottled by the tears I shed. While my eyes began to open, something changed, so it rang and eyes opened to see a new I now lead."**

I stopped and thought for a moment. Replaying the sounds through my head.

 

_Now that sounds nice. It's still not finished yet. Where can I go from here though?_

 

"Y/n, food is ready!"

"Food!" I set my guitar down and closed my notebook before joining Mark in the kitchen.

"Thank you Mark but let me cook next time."

"Ok. Oh and I like your singing." My cheeks turned pink and I looked down at my food.

"Th-thank you."

 

_Dammit! Why am I so shy and flustered all of a sudden? Just calm down._

 

"So y/n, why did you decided to do music and writing?"

"Oh, because I had always enjoyed stories and the effects it had on people. Like, they let you have a breather from all of the stress and they also help you connect with others. Whenever I saw people reading or listening to a song, they almost always had a smile on their face. I wanted to make people smile like that so taht's why I do music and writing." Mark payed close attention and nodded occasionally.

"Well, you're doing a great job so far."

"What do you mean?"

"Both of the stories and your song made me smile."

"Really? Yay!" Mark let out a small chuckle before going back to his food. Soon, it was all gone and Mark stood up. He grabbed both mine and his plate and took them to the sink.

"Since you cleaned them last time, allow me."

"Thank you Mark. I'll be in the living room if you need me."

"Got it." I went back to the couch and thought about how to finish the song. I had my notebook open and I kept rereading, pausing every other line to think about that story. Mark then sat next to me and looked over my should to read my song as well.

"What do you think Mark?"

"What?"

"Where should this story go?"

"You want to hear my opinion?"

"Yes I do. You do have great ideas and you are very smart."

"Thank you. Hmmmmmmm maybe the girl who gave the letter meets up this character later?" Mark said a little unsure.

"That sounds like a great idea!"

"Oh, you're just saying that."

"You're right."

"WHAT!?"

"Kidding Mark. I'm kidding. It is a great idea though. Give me a second." I thought for a moment and hummed quietly before taking a deep breathe and out before I sang.

**"Home wasn't far. I ran and grabbed my old guitar, started strumming a bar. I sang her words, the verse, that lead the chourse for chorus, as her voice joined my noise."**

**"This cute girl with the wall-eyed stare."**  Mark added. His deep voice sounded wonderfully when he sang that line.

"That's good."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you should sing more."

"I'm not that good."

"You sound great to me."

"Thank you y/n." Thanks to Mark's help, I was able to finish the lyrics. All I had to do was finish the chords but that could wait. We had to record more Okami and I couldn't wait.


	8. Chapter 8

So, we got everything set up for recording more Okami. We recorded about 5 hours worth of gameplay.

"And we will see you, in the next video."

"Bye bye." We both waved at the webcam and stopped the recording.

"Man, I am loving this art style."

"Yeah. The art style and story are my favorite things about this whole game."

"So y/n, is this one of those games that you can replay countless times and still have fun?"

"Well, I can't speak for everyone but for me, yes. I have played through this game completely at least 7 times." Mark gave a nod ad leaned into the couch.

"Should we record more?"

"Later. You have a lot of editing to do."

"True. Keep me company?"

"Sure." Now, we are in his computer room and I'm sitting next to him, watching him edit. Normally, I would have been in my own world, zoning in and out, not paying attention in this world but my own. Mark though, he is some how able to keep my mind focused. My mind isn't wondering, I'm focused and I'm not even bored. To most, watching someone edit without and sound is boring but for me, for some reason, it isn't.

Once Mark finished, he let out a sigh that turned into a yawn. I leaned back into his chair, trying to relax his back from slouching in front of the screen.

"You ok Mark?"

"Yeah, just a little tired."

"Take a nap then. You work too hard and you need one."

"But I'm not tired."

"You just said you were."

"..........Oh..........Can you sing me your song then?"

"What?"

"I'll take a nap if you sing me the song you wrote." Mark wore a big smile that made it impossible to say 'no' to.

"Sure. Let me get my guitar."

"Yay! A nap does sound nice too." Mark got up and went to his bedroom. I let out a happy sigh and grabbed my guitar. I was outside Mark's bedroom door and lightly knocked.

"You decent?"

"Yep!" I entered and saw Mark climbing into his bed.

"You know, you're supposed to be the older one."

"So?"

"Good point." Mark was holding his Tiny-Box-Tim plusie close to him and he wore a sweet smile. I sat at the edge of his bed and adjusted my grip on my guitar. I began to strum soft cords in a slow manor. When I began to sing, my voice was low, slow and soft, just how the song is supposed to sound.

**"It was a dark day, day of lost faith. I wasn't the person I thought I'd be. Can't anyone relate to me? There's nothin left to see. So I'll take a walk round, the edge of town. Think of leaving it all behind. Then I find, a little letter fell, fell right out of the sky. I looked up to a fright of my. A young girl hovered way up high. I thought myself crazy, when I saw her waving. Then simply fly, my attention taking. I look down to my hands, where the letter lay. Inside I find words to make my heart dance.**

**It say; Isn't it great to be different? Isn't wonderful to be exactly you are? When you start learning to accept yourself, you'll find you'll shine.**

**To this day that writing on that page, is mottled by the tears I shed. While my eyes began to open, something changed, so it rang and eyes opened to see a new I now lead. Home wasn't far. I ran and grabbed my old guitar, started strumming a bar. I sang her words, the verse, that lead the chourse for chorus, as her voice joined my noise. This cute girl with the wall-eyed stare.**

**She murmured she'd heard such sore sad words before and her heart tore. She say, the hardest thing we're faced, isn't the teasing or the pain. It's convincing our self we aren't stupid, strange, or lame and to help others do the same.**

**Now all because of her, I turned. I'm now where I need to be, because of the beautiful girl who believed in me.**

**Isn't it great to be different? Isn't wonderful to be exactly you are? When you start learning to accept yourself, you'll find you'll shine. When you learn to stay true to you."**  I sang the last note and strum the last chord. I turned and saw Mark sleeping and a smile found it's way to my face. I gently took his glasses off and set them on his nightstand. I then slowly and quietly got up and left.

_I'll check on him in an hour or so. Hope he sleeps well._

I made my way to the living-room. I then saw the calender and remembered what today's date was. December 18th.

_Mark is going to be leaving on the 23rd. Dammit. I hope I can get an apartment before than. I must be a burden at this point. Well, if I can't get an apartment by then, I can get a hotel room. I know he said that I could stay but...... it just wouldn't feel right...........Fuck it! I'm going to write!_

So I sat on the couch and began to write whatever came into my mind. Almost an hour later I stopped and reread what I wrote.

_..................Well this just shows that I can't write any happy fun times. Oh well, better go check on Mark._

Before I could get up, I heard a door open followed by some footsteps and the 'click' of a door closing. Mark came down the stairs shortly after and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Hey Mark, I was about to go and check on you."

"Thank you. Ready to record more Okami?"

"Yep." I scooted over, giving Mark room to sit. As Mark played more of the game, I couldn't help but feel a little sad that I'm going to be leaving soon but I was also very grateful that someone cared enough to look out for me. We finished another episode and the rest of the day was just Mark and I goofing off, telling jokes, stories, and watching movies. Soon night fell and I was becoming drozy. Mark took notice and gave y shoulder a pat.

"You should head off to bed y/n. It's getting late and you look like you're about to fall asleep." I let out a yawn and rubbed my left eye.

"Ok Mawk. Night." Because of my droziness, I said Mark's name weirdly but he didn't seem to mind. I got open and slowly made my way to the guest bedroom.

"Night y/n. Do you want me to walk you to your bed?"

"I'm a big ki-ow." I had accidental walked into a wall but it didn't hurt really.

"I'm ok." I looked back and saw Mark's concern face so I gave him a thumbs up and a smile. I then noticed that he wasn't making any move to leave the couch.

"Hey Mark?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't stay up too late." I said with a small smile before entering the guest bedroom and passing out on the bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Days went by and next thing I know, it's the 22nd. Mark was making sure that he had everything he needed for his trip back to Ohio and that there was plenty of prerecorded videos.

"Hey y/n, sorry that you can't spend Christmas with your family." Mark said suddenly. My whole body stiffen at the phrase 'your family'. Mark noticed and looked concern.

"Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." I forced my body to relax and it wasn't easy. Before Mark could say anything else, my phone rang. I quickly answered it, grateful for a distraction.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Miss y/n l/n?"

"Yes it is. What can I do for you?"

"An apartment has opened up close by for you. If you're still interested, I can send you the address."

"Yes I am still interested. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I'll send you the info now. Bye."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and within a few seconds I received a text.

"Mark, I have good news."

"Well, say it."

"I got an apartment. I'm going to grab my stuff and get there ASAP." I put my phone in my pocket and began to put my stuff in my messenger bag.

"Well.....uh......I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning, maybe you can stay a little longer." Mark asked sheepishly. I stopped and thought about what he said.

"I-I would love to stay longer but I have already overstayed my welcome here."

"Y/n, you haven't. I enjoyed your company." A smile found it's way on my face.

"That's a first. Thank you Mark."

"A first for what?"

"Nothing. Anyway, I think I can stay for a few hours."

"Yay. Wait, I have an idea."

"Go on."

"How about I take you out for lunch." Mark wore a sweet smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go." Mark grabbed his keys and jacket and held the door open for me. I grabbed jacket before exiting the door. Mark then closed and locked it before walking down the hallway.

"So where to?"

"There's a sandwich shop nearby if you want to go there."

"Sure." So Mark lead the way out of the apartment complex and down the street. The whole time, we were silent, it wasn't awkward though. We were just enjoying each others' company. My thoughts then began to wonder and they were all focused on Lauren.

 

_Lauren.......Ok, I know that I have seen her before but I need to know from where and when. Lauren seems to be about 12 or 13 years old now and that's about a 10 year difference, so definitely not from my school years. Then where?.......................Wait a minute! Could she be from-_

 

"Y/n?"

"Huh?" I was brought out of my thoughts by Mark's voice. I looked up at his face and noticed his questioning look.

"Sorry I was thinking. Did you ask a question?"

"It's ok and yes I did. Are you going to come over to help finish Okami when I get back?"

"Only if you want me to and if you have food." We shared a small laugh and soon made it to the sandwich shop. We sat at a booth and got our order taken.

"So Mark, what did you think of the first Ark?"

"It was awesome. Fighting Orochi was interesting."

"Yeah. You get him drunk and then you kick his ass."

"Yeah and Susano's story was cool. He was a coward but he stood his ground to save his love."

"Now then, the first Ark has a happy ending but the second ark had a bit of a sad ending and then the third ties everything together."

"How is the second ark sad?"

"You'll see. I don't want to spoil it." Our food came and we began to eat.

"After this, I'm going to head over to my apartment."

"Awwwww."

"Hey, you can come with me. I still need can't believe how lucky I am."

"How so?"

"Well, when I got kicked out I was able to get a roof over my head and made a friend."

"Who?"

"You. Anyway, I was able to write a new song, thanks to you, and now I have my own apartment. To make things even better, it already has furniture in it."

"How did you get furniture in it?"

"I bought it furnished. I don't own anything in my name except for what's on me" Mark stared at me or really past me. He seemed to be thinking, like connecting the dots to something. After a moment, he spoke up.

"Y/n, where is your apartment?"

"Uh, why do you ask?"

"I want to ask you a question but in private." I stared at Mark thinking.

"Since we already paid for our meal, lets go. I want to know what this question is." I grabbed my stuff and we left, this time I was leading.

"It's an appropriate question."

"I trust you Mark." I don't know why but I suddenly began to worry. We made it to the apartment complex where my apartment was and I went up to the manager.

"Um hi. My name is y/n l/n. I was told that there was an apartment for me." My mind was too busy thinking to take in any details about the manager. I was handed my room key and told to go to the third floor. I went to Mark, who was waiting a few feet away, and showed him the key.

"Elevator or stairs?" I asked.

"Elevator." I nodded and we entered the elevator.

"Room 302." I murmured as we rode the elevator up. Mark stayed silent, thinking but about what? We finally made it to my apartment door and once in, I turned to Mark.

"Ok Mark, we're here. What is your question?"

"Y/n......................................are you an orphan?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Are you an orphan?" My body stiffen up and my eyes widen a little. After a moment I forced my body to relax.

"Y-yes Mark. I am." Mark was wearing this weird look. Normally I can read emotions fairly well but this time...........

 

_ Sorrow? Worry? Pity? No. Definitely not pity........then what? _

 

"Mark, what's with that look you're giving me?"

"Sorry, it's just.....it's......" Mark was trying to find words to say but wasn't having much luck. I let out a sigh.

"Mark, you don't have to say anything."

"I just have a few questions but I don't know how to ask them."

"Just ask them. Be has blunt as you want."

".........Were you ever adopted?"

"Yes and no." Mark's face told me he wanted more info.

"I would live in an orphanage for a few months, but adopted and live with them for a few weeks, and for whatever reason, be put in a different orphanage to repeat the cycle. The families either got bored with me or I was too much of a hassle." Mark suddenly pulled me into a hug and when he did, something in my mind clicked. I pulled myself out of Mark's hug and he looked confused.

"Mark, thank you for the hug but I don't need it right now. I need to think about something." Mark gave me a smile.

"Ok. I understand." Mark pulled out a slip of paper and scribbled something on it before handing it to me.

"If you need to talk to someone, call me."

"Thank you Mark. Hope you have a safe flight there and you make sure you're having a fun time, ok?"

"Yeah, I will. Also y/n?"

"Hmmm?"

"When I get back, we'll play more Okami together."

"You got it." With that, Mark left and so did my smile, it was replaced with a serious look.

 

_ Ok, I am almost certain of it now. I can't check right now though. I first need to get a steady pay. Dammit. That means I'm going to have to go job hunting. Oh well. I have nothing better to do anyway. _

 

I then remembered that Mark gave me hi number so I plugged it into my phone and sent a text to Mark.

 

_y/n: Hey Mark, it's y/n. Just letting you know that this is my number and also, I'm going job hunting. Wish me luck._

_Mark: Thank you y/n. GOOD LUCK :)_

 

"Dork." I mumbled out when I read his text. So for the next few hours, I walked around LA, going from fast-food restaurant to coffee shops but sadly, none of them were hiring. I just walked out another non-hiring fast food joint and I leaned against the wall.

"Well, this sucks. Why can't I be in some fanfic or something that conveniently gives me a high paying job when I need one." Suddenly my phone vibrated, letting me know that I received a text.

 

_Mark: Any luck?_

_ Y/n: Nope. There isn't a single place hiring nearby. _

_ Mark: Unless I'm wrong, the library should be hiring. _

_Y/m: Really? Thanks Mark_

_Mark: No problem_

 

I finally made it to the library and they were in-fact hiring. There was a 'help wanted' sign on the door. I entered the library and instantly felt at home. The smell of the books was so much better than the outside air.

"Can I help you?" A female voice asked. I turned and say a tall woman with brown hair in a bun, wearing glasses, a white blouse, and a pencil skirt. Her face was rather young looking and she seemed healthy.

"Uh yes. Are you by any chance hiring?"

"Yes we are. Are you interested?"

"Quite." She gave me nod and handed me a sheet of paper.

"Just fill this out please."

"Will do. Thank you." I sat down at one of the tables and began to fill in my information. It was basic stuff though, like what my name was, age, address, phone number, education and what times and days I feel comfortable working at. Once done, I handed the paper back to the woman.

"I'll call you to let you know if you're hired or not."

"Thank you. Have a nice day."

"You too." I left the library and began to walk back home.

 

_ Ok, step one is done. Tomorrow I'll check to see if my hunch is correct. I hope I am and at the same time, I hope I'm not. _

 

Next thing I know I'm already up all the stairs and in my apartment. Even though it's only about 6 I lay down on my couch and fall asleep. All of that walking made me tired.


	11. Chapter 11

I woke up the next morning, still on the couch, and decided to take a look around my apartment, since I haven't yet. The living-room had a black couch, a decent sized coffee-table, a TV, a TV stand, and the carpet all throughout the apartment was soft and a tanish color. The kitchen was attacked to the living-room and ever though it was small, it was big enough to serve it's purpose. It held a refrigerator with a freezer attacked, a stove/oven combo, a microwave, a toaster-oven, a dishwasher, a sink and plenty of cabinets and cuborads. There was a short hallway that held three rooms. The closest one was a bathroom and that held a shower, bathtub, toilet, sink, and cabinet. The other two rooms were bedrooms. Each had a queen sized bed, a nightstand, a closet with a sliding mirrors, and the walls were a soft blue. There was also a small window in each room.

I chose the bedroom closest to the living-room and began to hang my clothes in the closet. Once done, I set my bag and guitar on my bed. I grabbed my notebook and pencil and went to the couch in the living-room. Before lead could hit paper, my phone rang. I set my stuff on the coffee table and answered the phone.

"Hello, y/n l/n speaking."

"Yes y/n. I didn't introduce myself yesterday. My name is Jessica Gorgan. I'm the librarian you talked to yesterday."

"Oh hello Miss Gordan. How are you?"

"I'm doing great. Anyway, are you ok with working at 7-3 on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday?"

"Yeah. I am. When do you want me to come in?"

"You can start this coming Sunday. Also the uniform you need is just a white blouse and either dress pants or a skirt."

"Ok, thank you so much. I'll see you Sunday?"

"See you Sunday."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and went to the calender to write down my schedule. An idea popped in my head. I grabbed my phone and looked for Mark's number.

 

_Should I call him though? He may be having fun with his friends and family but..................Fuck it! Mark would like to know._

 

I dialed his number and waited.

"Hey y/n, what's up?"

"Mark, I got a job."

"I thought you already had a job as being a writer?"

"Aww thank you Mark. Anyway. I work at the library. I start Sunday."

"Cool. Congrats. What are your hou\- Shut up Wade! What are your hours?" I was trying to stifle a laugh as I answered Mark question.

"7-3, I work Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday."

"Cool. With that schedule we can easily work in Okami."

"Yep, so how are the fans responding to the videos? I have been unable to keep up."

"Oh they love it! A lot of them love all of the tidbits you say about the game. Also how you make sure I don't walk around aimless for hours."

"Mark, I'm sure you wouldn't do that."

"You're right. I would have looked up a walk-through." We shared a laugh before an idea popped into my head.

"What does tumblr think?"

"From what I've seen, they like it. There's fanart of me being Issun, Amaterasu, and even Susano."

"Susano? That's cool. So how's your family?"

"They're doing great."

"Well Mark, I got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Ok bye y/n" We hung up and I stared at my notebook.

 

_Hmmmmm  there's a cafe nearby. I'll go there to write also I need a coffee._

 

I grabbed my notebook and walked out of my apartment and down ll of the stairs and  began my way down the street.

 

_Sheesh , with all of this walking I'll be a size 0 in no time. Not that I need to be a size 0. I'm healthy the way I am._

 

Once inside the cafe, my nose was greeted by the smell of strong coffee, peppermint, and pumpkin spice. I ordered a regular coffee and sat at the table near the corner. In the middle of my writing, something caught my eye out of my peripheral vision. I looked up and my eyes widen at what I saw and a smile found it's way to my face.

 

_Lauren._

 

She was with the same two girls from last time. She was looking around, bored and she gave off this air of not wanting to be with them. Once her eyes met mine, I smiled and waved. She smiled back and gave a smaller wave. The two girls noticed and snickered at each other, almost as though they knew something. I did not like the air around them so I beckoned Lauren. She came over and sat next to me.

"So, how have you been Lauren?"


	12. Chapter 12

"How are you Lauren?"

"I'm doing fine. I've seen you in Mark's Okami videos. You're really cool and smart!" She said in an excited tone. My cheeks dusted a little pink at the compliment.

"Thank you very much Lauren. Oh, would you like anything to drink?" I asked as I slowly got up, getting ready to order her a drink.

"Yes please. Thank you."

"What would you like?" She thought for a moment.

"An ice mocha please."

"Got it. I'll be right back." She gave a nod and I left for the counter. After I ordered her drink I stayed near the counter, waiting. I kept a close eye on Lauren without looking directly at her and kept my ears pricked. The two girls sat next to her and I immediately notice her change of demeanor and air. She looked nervous and uncomfortable and it was clear to me that she was forcing a smile. The two girls had weird looks on their faces and I swear I saw smirks.

"Hey Lauren, I didn't know you were 'friends' with an adult." She had a bit of sarcasm in her voice, almost in a teasing manor.

"Well yeah. She's cool."

"Wasn't she in Mark's latest videos?" The other asked, ignoring Lauren's comment.

"Yeah, she was. She claimed to be friends with him."

"Her? She's probably sucking his dick to be in his videos." There was seriousness in her voice and it was clear that Lauren was becoming more uncomfortable.

 

_What?_

 

"Listen Lauren, leave that skank and come with us." The way she said the last part made me unsure of how safe Lauren was going to be if she went.

"Yeah. We'll go to the movies." They were both leaning really close to Lauren.

 

_Nope. Something is not right._

 

I got Lauren's drink and made my way over to the table.The two girls had their backs to me and didn't notice me placing the cold drink to the back of one of their neck. She let out a small yelp and I smirk was on my face but I quickly changed it to a 'sweet' smile. They both turned and glared at me.

"Oops. My bad. Here you go Lauren." My voice was playful at the beginning and then sincere at the end. I handed Lauren her drink and her eyes were telling me 'thank you'. I gave a nod and then looked back at the two girls, my eyes stern.

"You should not be using that kind of language at your age."

"What are you, my mom?" She asked, full of attitude. I noticed that Lauren frowned at the word 'mom'.

 

_Oh no. Don't tell me................._

 

"I suggest that you two leave. Now." My voive was kind untill the end where it became firm.

"What?"

"You heard me. Leave. I don't trust you with Lauren." This time, my voice was completely firm.

"Geez, are you a pedofile?"

"Leave." Lauren spoke up, her voice a little quiet.

"Fine. We didn't like you anyway."

"Niether did I." Lauren added, with more confidence this time. The two girls left, and Lauren let out a sigh. I sat next to her and gave her shoulder a pat.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." She said in a sigh.

"No you're not."

"How do you know?"

"One how cares, knows." She stayed quiet for a moment before smiling.

"Thank you." She began to sip her drink when she noticed my notebook.

"Are you a writer?"

"Yeah. I also play guitar."

"Cool. Um..... I've been wondering something."

"Go on."

"Well, were you ever in an orphanage?"

"Yep. Were you?"

"Yeah."

"I think we know each more than we think."

"How so?"

"Where you ever in an orphanage in Texas?" She sat and thought for a moment before answering.

"Yeah. I was about 6 when I went there."

"How convenient because I was 16 when I was in an orphanage in Texas." I had a bit of a toy smile. Lauren stared at me when something clicked in her head.

"Y/n, you've changed so much......I didn't recognize you." I pulled Lauren into a hug.

"You've changed too. You have grown up quite a lot."

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry for leaving you." I said in a low, sorry voice.

"Huh?"

"I was your friend and once I was done with high-school, I left."'

"It's ok. We're still friends." I pulled away and smiled.

"Good." Lauren looked at her watch and frowned.

"I got to get going."

"Do you have a cell phone?"

"Uh yeah." I handed her mine.

"Plug your number in. We'll keep in touch." She nodded and added her name and number to my contacts list. Once done, she handed my phone back. She gave a small wave and left. I then grabbed my stuff and made my way back home.

 

_I didn't get any writing done but that's ok._

 

I soon made it back and I sat on my couch, a little tired from all of the walking. I then pulled my phone out and dialed Mark's number.

"Hey Mark, want to hear a story?"

"Sure!"

"Well, do you remember when we went to Gamestop and we met that really cool fan?"

"Yeah. I think Lauren was her name."

 

_Awww. He tries to remember his fans' names. He is a really cool guy._

 

"Yeah. Well turns out that she was actually a friend of mine when I was in an orphanage when I was 16."

"Really? That's awesome that you two met again."

"It is really cool. I'm glad that she's doing better."

"How so?"

"Well, back at the orphanage she was really shy and kept to herself and she didn't smile a lot. Now though, I don't see any frown lines and she seems happier." Mark became quiet for a moment before speaking.

"Does she have a family now?" His voice was completely serious.

"I-I don't know. If she does, I hope it's a good one."

"I hope so too." There was another pause before an idea came to my head.

"Oh shit, tomorrow's Christmas."

"Wow Y/n."

"Shut up. Anyway, you better have fun tomorrow or else."

"Or else what?" Mark's voice was playfully challenging.

"..........................I don't know." I said in a low voice before laughing a little. Mark joined me in my laughter, though his was much louder.

"Not a very sound threat."

"Shut up."

"I will have fun though y/n. Hope you have fun too."

"Will do."

"Bye."

"Bye." We both hung up our phone and I got my laptop out. I still had the idea in my head from earlier.

 

_I don't know if I want to be wrong or right but I do know that my end result will be the same......I hope. Now then, where is the closest orphanage?_


	13. Chapter 13

_So, today's Christmas............Am I really going to do this?.....Yes. I have to. I have to make sure that the end result is the same._

 

I took a deep breath in and out to help calm my nerves. I was standing outside the only orphanage in LA and it was 10 AM.

 

_Why am I so nervous? I can do this! I need to do this._

 

I entered through the door and began to feel very queasy. I have not been in an orphanage for four years and I thought I was never go near one ever again.

"Do you need something?" I was pulled out of my thoughts by a voice. I turned my head and saw a much older woman.

"Um yeah. I'm looking to adopt someone. Um do you have a girl named Lauren here?" I felt very uncomfortable with the way her eyes bore into me. I was biting my lip and my voice was not very stable or confident. She stood there for a moment, thinking, before leaving the room. My stomach was doing flips, my heart was racing and my breathing was becoming ragged.

 

_Fucking dammit! Why is this happening?! Please hurry. I don't want to be any longer than I need to be._

 

Finally the woman came back and behind her stood Lauren.

 

_Bingo. I don't know how I feel about this though. On the upside, I can give her a family. Something that she needs and something I never had. On the down side though, I may not be the family she deserves........I'm going to do my best though._

 

When Lauren saw me, she looked very confused but I also saw happiness in her eyes. I gave her a nod and the woman handed me paperwork. As I was filling out my information, the woman told Lauren to grab her stuff. Lauren didn't need to be told twice. I soon finished the paperwork and that was about the same time Lauren came back with a small suitcase and a backpack. She had a giant smile on her face and her eyes sparkled with so much joy that almost anyone could see it. Once everything was taken care of and Lauren and I were outside, I gave her a big hug.

"Merry Christmas Lauren. I know I never have done anything like this before and that I'm only 22 but I will do everything I can." Lauren was just repeating the phrase 'thank you'. I stood up and gently held her hand.

"Let's go home."

"Yay!" I let out a short laugh before walking back to our apartment. Once inside, Lauren set her stuff on the couch.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting my stuff down."

"You have your own room."

"I do?"

"Yep. I'll show you." Lauren grabbed her stuff, again, and followed me down the short hall. I opened the door to her bedroom and enjoyed the look on her face. She looked just so happy to have a home and her own room.

"You get yourself settled in. I'll make us some lunch."

"Oh, I can do that."

"Maybe next time. We can watch some TV as well in the living-room."

"Ok." I left the hall and went into the kitchen to make some lunch. Before I did though, I sent a text to Mark.

 

_Y/n: Hope you are having a merry Christmas. I know I am_

_Mark: It's a blast here. I should be back on the 26th_

_y/n: Don't rush yourself. Have fun._

 

I set my phone aside and decided to make grilled-cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. I heard footsteps from down the hall.

"Lunch will be ready soon. You can relax on the couch if you want."

"Thank you." Soon, everything was done and I took Lauren's plate and bowl to her.

"Do you need anything to drink?"

"Uh.......a water please."

"Coming right up." I came back with a bottle of water for Lauren and my own food. As we ate, we decided to watch random Christmas movies. When Lauren was done eating, she took her plate and bowl to the sink and I soon did the same.

"Wait, do I call you mom or y/n?"

"That's up to you. Neither is wrong." She stared at me for moment before smiling.

"Ok mom." Lauren went back to washing her plate and bowl. In the past, I would have thought of the word 'mom' as just that. A word. To hear someone call you mom and meant it, just fills with so much meaning, warmth and joy that it almost hurts.

 

_Best decision ever._


	14. Chapter 14

The rest of the day was just Lauren and I watching TV and then shopping for more clothes and other stuff for Lauren. Soon night came and Lauren retired to her bedroom. I sat on the couch and I had my notebook with me. All the lights were off except for one lamp that emitted a soft, gently glow. I let out a small yawn as I wrote. I knew it was getting late but I wasn't really that tired. The whole apartment was silent. So quiet that the sound of my pencil was almost deafening.

It was almost midnight when my ears picked up a different sound. I quickly set my stuff down, stood up, and went down the hall. I slowly creaked opened Lauren's door and peeked inside. Lauren was sitting up in her bed and she appeared to be shaking. I was also able to see some stray tears on her cheeks. I opened the door completely and entered the room,

"Are you ok Lauren?" I asked softly as to not startle her.

"Y-y-yeah." Her voice cracked and it sounded so low and sad. I felt my heart drop when I heard her voice. I slowly entered the room and made my way to her bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was just a nightmare." I knew it was more than that but it is clear that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Do you want to join me in the living-room?"  She gave a nod. I smiled and reached out my hand for her. She gently grabbed a hold of it and we walked down the short hallway to the couch in the living-room. We sat on it and I opened up my notebook.

"Do you want me to read to you or do you want to read?" She stared at my notebook as though it was a sacred item of some sort.

"I-I can read." I handed her the notebook and gave her a small smile.

"You can read any story you want." She gave a nod and began to read in her head. Soon she began to shiver so she scooted closer to me. She seemed to really enjoy my work and that made me feel very proud. Soon an hour past and Lauren was dozing off. Another 30 minutes passed before Lauren finally fell into a deepsleep. I gently took the notebook out of her hands and set it on the coffee table. I then carefully and gently picked Lauren up. I then slowly walked down the hall until I made it to her room. I laid her in her bed and pulled the blanket over her. I then left and went to turn off the lamp in the living-room.

 

_Well, my arms are sore now. I think I may need to hit the gym soon........Nah. I'll be fine. I think I should go to bed though. It's like.... oh shit! It's freakin 1:42........................Yeah. Definitely going to bed._

 

I climbed into my bed and slowly fell into a deep sleep.

I woke up to the sound of something sizzling. I sat up and ran my hand through my bedhair in an attempt to fix it. I got out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. The whole apartment smelled of bacon and eggs. I saw Lauren at the stove and she soon noticed my presence.

"Morning Lauren. Thank you for cooking breakfast."

"No problem. It should be ready soon." I gave a nod and sat on the couch. I saw the notebook and instantly remembered what happened last night.

 

_I hope Lauren felt better and slept ok........_

 

Lauren soon joined me on the couch with two plates of food. As we ate an idea popped into my head.

"Lauren, I wont be here everyday since I now have a non-stay-at-home-job." I saw a spark of sadness in her eyes.

"I'll be back at 3 and I'll be gone for four days out of week. I'll be here Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday." She gave a nod.

"I thought you were a writer?"

"I am. I just wanted a stable pay for you."

"Me?" She stared at me in an unbelieving manor. She must of been used to people only doing stuff for themselves.

"Yeah. I never had a family so I want to make sure you have the best I can offer." She stared at me before smiling.

"Thank you." Suddenly my phone vibrated.

 

_Mark: Hey y/n, I'm on my way to the airport. I should be in LA in a few hours._

_Y/n: Ok. Do you me to meet you there?_

_Mark: Yeah._

_Y/n: Cool. I'll see you in a few hours._

 

"Who was that?

"Mark. He's going t be at the airport in a few hours. Do you want to come with me to pick him up?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Yeah! When?"

"Well since it' ten now.......I'd say about 1." She gave a nod. Once we finished our food, I took both plates to the sink. Another thought popped into my head while I cleaned the plates.

 

_I wonder what Mark will think when he finds out that I adopted Lauren._


	15. Chapter 15

The next few hours flew by fast and Lauren and I made our way to the airport in my car. We got there a few minutes before 1 and waited. Lauren appeared to be nervous.

"You feeling ok Lauren?" She must have been zoning out because my voice startled her.

"Huh? Y-yeah. Just thinking."

 

_Thinking about what though?................ If she wants me to know,she would tell me. I shouldn't pry or force it out of her .................................... but I still want to know._

 

My phone vibrated, snapping me out of my thoughts.

 

_Mark: Just landed._

_Y/n: Cool We'll find you inside._

_Mark: We?_

_Y/n: You'll see._

 

I put my phone in my pocket before poking Lauren's arm, gaining her attention.

"Come on. Mark just landed. Let's go find that man-child." She let out a small chuckle when I called Mark a man-child and gave nod before leaving the car. Once out, I locked it and stood next to Lauren, looking at the many people going in and out of the airport. We went inside and began to look around for Mark.

"Let me know if you spot him Lauren."

"Got it." I scanned through the crowd,looking for anything that looked like Mark. Finally, I spotted a familiar head of floof.

"Found him Lauren. Hey Mark!! Over here!" I was waving my arms over my head, trying to get Mark's attention. Lauren began to laugh before doing the same thing. Mark must have heard us because he looked our way. Even from a distance I could see the sparkle in his eyes from happiness and the wrinkles his face makes when he smiles. He made his way over to us, bumping into a lot of people along the way. Once he was near, Lauren was no longer laughing and her nervous air returned. Mark gave me a tight hug. Once he pulled away, he ruffled my hair.

Mark, you were only gone a few days." He let out a small chuckle but he then took notice to Lauren.

"Hey Lauren. Great to see you again." Lauren gave a nod and wore a small smile.

"Y-yeah. Um how was your flight?"

"It was alright. Oh, are you guys hungry?"

"Yeah. A little." Lauren answered.

"How about we all go and get some lunch. There's a restaurant not too far from here." I suggested.

"Perfect. Let's go." Mark said excitedly. He grabbed his luggage and followed Lauren and I back to my car. Once in, Mark sat next to me while Lauren sat behind me. As I drove, no one spoke. It was a comfortable silence though. Finally, Mark spoke up.

"So, how are you and Lauren doing?" I looked into the rear-view mirror and made eye contact with Lauren. She gave a nod and a smile and I returned one.

"We've been great. In fact, Lauren got a wonderful present for Christmas."

"Really? What?!" Mark sounded like an excited child.

"A mom." Lauren piped up. There was a few a moments of silence n the car. Mark's face looked as though he was thinking, connecting the dots. Finally, he spoke.

"Did you......and she.....you're her......and she's your....." Mark was at a lost of words. Luckily, Lauren jumped in to help.

"Y/n adopted me and is now my mom." Lauren had a smile on her face and she looked as though she was proud. Maybe she was. I looked over at Mark and even though he had a smile on his face, his eyes showed something different.

"I'm so happy to hear that Lauren. So, what's it like to live with her?"

 

_What is he up to?_

 

"It's only been two days but I like living with her."

"Two days." Mark mumbled to himself. Mark seemed to be in deep thought about something. We finally made it to the restaurant and made our way inside. We got a table and ordered our drinks.

"I'll be right back. Restroom." Lauren whispered the last part before leaving.

"Ok. Don't take too long." Mark sat in front of me and he stared at Lauren until she was out of sight, or was it earshot. He then turned to me.

"Y/n, are you sure?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Mark's face was full of concern.

"You're only 22. Are you sure you can handle being a young parent all by yourself?"

"I-I-I don't know. I didn't put much thought into the adoption. I just wanted to give her a happy life." My voice was low and uncertain. Mark let out a sigh and came over to my side to hug me.

"Y/n, I know that you want what's best for her and I know that I am your friend and friends help friends when they can."

"Mark, what are you getting at?" Mark pulled away and gave me a smile.

"I'll help you look after and raise Lauren." My eyes widen at Mark's offer and I felt shocked.

 

_Is this what he was thinking about back in the car?.......I wonder how Lauren will react to this news?_


	16. Chapter 16

"Mark, are  **you**  sure that's a good idea?" I ask with emphasis on the word 'you'. Mark let out a sigh.

"I am sure that you can't handle this all on your own. You just got a new job, you still have your old one, and now you have a child to watch over and raise. That's too much to take on so suddenly and all by yourself. I'm not saying that you'll do a bad job. I know that you want to do good and give her your best. That's why you should let me help you. Besides, when you're at work, she can't be left alone at her age."

"................... Dammit. I really didn't think the whole adoption thing through. Anyway, thank you Mark. You sure you can juggle Youtube job and a child?"

"I can try.

"I guess we both can try." I looked to my left and saw Lauren coming back. I then looked back at Mark.

"You tell her. After lunch though." Mark gave a nod and Lauren sat down next to me. We got our food ordered and started random conversations.

"Hey Mark?"

"Yes Lauren?"

"Um...... is mom still going to play Okami with you?" Lauren asked as she tilted her head to the right.

"Of course, and if you want, you can relax at my place while we record."

"Really? Cool! Thank you Mark." Mark had this big goofy grin on his face. Our food came and we just ate in silence. I looked over at Lauren and noticed that her posture was relaxed, she wasn't nervous or tense, and she was smiling.

 

_Good. I'm glad that she's doing a lot a better. Maybe I can do a good job of being a mom._

 

I went back to eating and soon, we were all done. Mark paid the bill, much to my protest, and we left.

"So Mark, do you want us to drop you off at your place?" I asked as we walked to my car.

"I was thinking that maybe you and I can record a few more Okami episodes."

"I don't know. Lauren, is it ok if we do that?"

"Yeah, I don't mind. I'll make sure to stay out of the shot and be quiet." We drove to Mark's apartment and the whole way there was me refreshing Mark's memory on the story and where we left off at. Once inside Mark's apartment, his eyes light up.

"Hey Lauren, I actually got you and y/n a Christmas present." His voice had a playful tone in it.

"Really? Thank you Mark." Lauren already seemed to be happy.

"So, you know how your mom now has a job and can not watch you 24/7?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what would you say if I became your dad?" Lauren stared at both Mark and I, thinking. Her eyes began to water and she sniffled a little.

"You-you mean I can-I can have both a mom and a-a dad?" Her voice was hopeful and she was trying not to cry. I immediately pulled Lauren into a hug. Mark then pulled both of us into a hug. Lauren had a tight grip on my shirt as she rested her head on my shoulder and a few stray tears fell.

"Thank you so much!"

"Your welcome Lauren. You deserve to be happy."

"You both deserve to be happy." Mark added. After a moment, we all pulled away and Lauren had such a big, happy grin.

"Oh, weren't you guys going to play Okami?" Lauren asked.

"Oh yeah. You ready Mark?" Mark gave a nod.

"Just let me set everything up. Uh Lauren, you can play on my computer if you want."

"It's ok. I'll just play my 3DS in the guest room." Lauren said before leaving for the guest room.

"You can have whatever's in the kitchen!" Mark shouted.

"Ok! Thanks!" Lauren shouted back. Once everything was set up, Mark and I sat on the couch.

"Hello everybody. My name is Markiplier and welcome to Okami. I just got back from my flight and I'm with my friend, y/n l/n." I gave a small wave to the camera.

"Hey everyone. It's great to be back. Anyway, time to start the Second Ark! Yay!"

"Yay!" So Mark and I were able to record a few more episodes. Somehow, Lauren was in the background by accident.

 

_I wonder if anyone will notice and if they do, how they will react._


	17. Chapter 17

It was now 8 at night when I remembered something. Mark and I had just finished editing the videos that we recorded.

"Hey Mark, tomorrow is Sunday, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I just remembered I have work. Since you're Lauren's dad now, can she stay here while I'm at work?"

"Of course! There is no way I would say 'no'."

"Ok. I wont be off until 3."

"Got it. Maybe it would be best if she stays the night here as well."

"Sounds good. That way, I can have more time to get ready for work and she can get some more sleep."

"Yep. Let's ask what Lauren thinks about it though." I gave a nod and got up from the chair and made my way to the guest room that Lauren was in. She on sitting on the bed, playing her 3DS.

"Hey Lauren?"

"Huh? Yeah, what is it mom?"

"Mark and I were wondering if it would be ok if you stay here while I'm at work?"

"Yeah. I'm fine with that."

"Cool. I wont get off until 3 though."

"That's ok Mom. Just be safe."

"I will. Thank you Lauren." Lauren let out a small yawn.

"If you're tired, you can go to bed. Also, Mark's room should be down the hall." Lauren gave a nod as she was turning off her game and setting it on the nightstand.

"Good night Lauren." I left the room and found Mark in the kitchen.

"Lauren should be asleep soon."

"Ok. I'll  make sure to be quiet."

"Oh, that reminds me. Lauren had a nightmare last night. If she has another one, just stay up with her until she falls back asleep. That's what I did."

"Of course. Do you know what the nightmare was about?"

"No. It's none of my business. If she wanted me to know, she would have told me."

"..............I have an idea what it could have been about."

"Really? What?"

"Yeah. Maybe her nightmare was about being sent back to the orphanage." I thought for a moment.

"Hmmmmmm, that would make sense. She was only adopted the other day and I remember having a few nightmares like that when I was young. Dammit, I wish I noticed sooner." Mark placed his hand on my sohulder.

"It's ok. You care and that's what matters. Anyway, I'll make that she feels loved while she is here."

"That shouldn't be too hard for you to do."

"Why is that?"

"Simple. You're a giant, lovable, loving, caring goofball."

"You forgot handsome." Mark said jokingly.

"You're more cute than handsome."

"You're the cute one." I felt my cheeks heat up a little.

"Th-thank you." Mark let out a small chuckle.

"You know, the fans ship us. The fan art is rather cute." I began to feel a little flustered.

"Wh-what about Markimash?"

"Oh yeah! Markimash is awesome!" Mark seemed to be remembering all the fun times he had with Yami. I checked my watch and saw that it was 8:30.

"I better get going. I'll be back at about 3."

"Ok, have a safe trip." Mark pulled me into a hug and I felt something touch my forehead for a few seconds.

 

_Did-did he just kiss my forehead? Omg omg omg omg omg. Calm down. It was probably just a friendly gesture._

 

Mark pulled away and gave me a sweet smile. I returned it before leaving. I made it to my car and began to drive home.

 

_So, Lauren made it into the background of one of the Okami episodes....... Sine it wont be up for a few days I can give Lauren a heads up about it. Ok. What about Mark though? Is he just being a goofball again? I don't know............... I'll think about it later._

 

I made it home and I made sure that my uniform was ready for tomorrow. A white blouse, black vest, black dress pants, and black shoes. I set my alarm for 6 and climbed into bed.

 

_It's only 9 and yet, I'm so tired. Oh well. I hope Lauren doesn't have another nightmare. If she does though, mark is there. Good night Lauren. May you be smiled upon._


	18. Chapter 18

_~~Rang Rang~~_

I let out a small groan as I sat up in bed. I turned the alarm off before getting out of bed.

 

_Dammit. I remember thinking that I was a morning person but I was wrong. Horribly wrong. Maybe if I woke up at like 8 or 9 I'd be fine but 6 is way to early._

 

I let out a yawn as I stretched. I then began to get dressed. Once done, I went to the bathroom to fix my hair.

 

_I wonder how Lauren slept.......I hope she didn't have another nightmare._

 

I went into the kitchen and began to eat cereal. I looked at the calender, remembering another thing.

 

_Lauren told me that she is going back to school tomorrow. She's in 8th grade now........ I remember 8th grade. That was very challenging for me. No friends, no family, and no clue how anything worked. Freshman year was a lot better though._

 

I put my empty bowl into the sink and made sure that I had everything I needed before getting into my car and driving to the libary. I parked my car and entered the library. I saw Jessica behind the counter and I went toward her.

"Hey y/n. Since you're here early I can run you by what you need to know and do."

"Cool. Thanks." So, for the next 40 minutes, Jessica showed me which genre was where, and how to to sign books to people. Even though I was busy working, I couldn't keep my mind off of Lauren. How was she doing? How did she sleep? Soon, my lunch break came, so I pulled my phone out. It was 12:05 now, and my break is 30 minutes.

 

_Y/n: Hey Mark. Do you know how Lauren slept last night?_

_Mark: Yeah. She had another nightmare. I was able to calm her down though. Poor thing._

_Y/n: Tell Lauren that I said 'Good Morning' and that my first day is going great._

_Mark: Got it. I got to go though. I'm about to record._

_Y/n: Sorry. Bye._

 

I put my phone away and opened a random book. By the time I finished reading chapter 2, my break was over. Just two more hours before I can go home. It's nice working in a library. It's quiet, relaxing, and I'm surrounded by books. There wasn't much to do except for telling people where a certain genre was when asked and checking out books to people. Finally, it was 3 and I was allowed to leave. I said 'goodbye' to Jessica and got into my car. I then drove to Mark's apartment. I soon made it to his door and I knocked. He opened it and pulled me into a hug.

"So, how was work?"

"Slow but not boring."

"Good." I walked inside and sat on the couch, releasing a sigh.

"Hey Mark, what happened to Lauren?" I asked with concern.

"She's in her room, playing her game." He sat next to me, closer than he normally does.

"I meant last night."

"Oh, well it was about 10 when I heard Lauren crying. When I asked her what happened, she just said it was nothing. Just a nightmare."

"That's what she told me. I wish there was something I could do something about this." Mark placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sure that this is a problem that only time can fix."

"As long as it's fixed and she is no longer suffering, I'm ok." I rested my head on Mark's shoulder in a tired state and he wrapped an arm around me, rubbing my arm.

"So, how did you calm her down?"

"I brought her to my computer and we watched random videos until she asleep. I then picked her up and placed her back into the bed." I suddenly realized the position we were in. Even though this was very comfortable and relaxing, my cheeks heated up and I stood up.

"I-I-I should go let Lauren know that I'm back." Not waiting for a response, I left the room and went to the guest room and knocked on the door.

"Hey Lauren, it's me. I'm back." The door opened and Lauren nearly tackled me into a hug. I hugged her back and gave her head a pat.

"I wasn't gone that long, was I?"

"No, I just missed you."

"I missed you too. So did Mark do an ok job?"

"Hey! I'm an awesome dad!" Mark shouted from the other room with mock hurt. Lauren and I shared a small laugh.

"Well Lauren, we got to get going."

"Ok." We left the room and we both gave Mark a hug before leaving his place and entering my car.


	19. Chapter 19

I started up the car and began to drive back home.

"So Lauren, you go back to school tomorrow right?"

"Yeah." She sounded a bit sad but I don't blame her.

"Hey now, you're in 8th grade and it's almost over."

"I don't want to go to high school though."

"Why so?"

"I heard that high school is very difficult and scary."

"Yes and no. It can be difficult and it can be scary at times, but it can also be very fun. Also, it's not as scary and hard as you think. When I was in high school I had a lot of fun but, I was also stressed, scared, bored, and nervous."

"What made it fun?" Her voice was curious and maybe a little hopeful.

"I made it fun. Also, it's a great experience. You'll cry, you'll laugh and so much more." She gave a nod, thinking about what I said.

"Did you have friends in school?"

"Yes and no. There were people who were friendly but once we didn't have a class together, communication stopped." I remembered a few people who I really liked being friends with and began to miss them.

"I'm sorry to hear that mom."

"It's ok dear. Certain people come and go but true friends stay with you."

"Like you." Lauren mumbled. A smile found it's way to my face. We made it home and once inside, Lauren crashed onto the couch.

"You hungry?" I asked as I unbuttoned my vest.

"Yeah."

"Cool. How does spaghetti sound?"

"Sounds great!"

"Great. Can you get everything started while I go change?" Lauren got up and went to the kitchen.

"I can. Don't worry." I went into my room to fully change. I hung everything up and changed into gray sweats and a black over-sized shirt. I went into the kitchen to see that Lauren was already heating up the tomato sauce. I went over to the pot and began to stir the noddles.

"Thank you Lauren. At this rate, dinner will be ready in no time."

"Yeah. Hey mom?"

"Yes?"

"Can we invite Mark over. He didn't eat much when I was there."

"Sure. Do you want me to call him now?"

"Yeah. You call him, and I'll cook."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. You worked today."

"Ok." I left the kitchen and grabbed my phone. I dialed Mark's umber and waited until he picked up.

"Hey y/n, what's up?"

"Hey Mark. Lauren and I were wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner."

"Uh..... what time?"

"One sec." I covered the speaker.

"Hey Lauren, when do you think dinner will be ready?"

"About 5:20."

"Thanks." I uncovered the speaker and place the phone back to my ear.

"About 5:20 Mark."

"Sure. I'll be over in a few."

"Ok. Just knock."

"Got it. See you soon"

"See you soon." I hung up the phone and checked the time.

 

_It's about 5 now.................Wow. Look how far I have come. I have a roof over my head, a job, a child, and a friend....... all in just a few weeks._

 

"You ok mom?"

"Huh? Yeah. Just thinking. I'll get stuff ready for Mark." I began to clean the apartment and got plates out. I set them on the bar and got the bar stools out of the corner. I heard a knock at the door and I went over and opened it. There stood Mark wearing his favorite red-flannel and a pair of jeans.

"Hey Mark. Come on in." I moved aside to let Mark enter. He gave me a tight hug and I let out a small chuckle.

"It smells nice in here."

"Yeah. Lauren is cooking spaghetti."

"It's almost ready!" Lauren called out. Mark went over to the bar and sat on one of the stools.

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Just water is fine."

"Got it." I went over to the cupboard and got out three cups. I filled two of them with water and set them on the bar.

"Hey Lauren, what do you want to drink?" Lauren brought over the pot full of spaghetti.

"Water please mom." I filled up the third cup and placed it on the bar.

"Looks like dinner is ready."

"Yay! Food!" Mark excited said. Lauren and I shared a small chuckle as we plated our food. We all began to dig in.

"This is so good."

"Thank you Mark. Glad you like my cooking."

"No problem. So, are you going back to school tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Well, there is an episode of Okami that you appeared in the background and it's going up tomorrow. Just letting you know."

"Thank you." Her voice was low and I became worried.

"Is everything ok Lauren?"

"Are you ok dear?"

"Yeah. It's nothing."

 

_It's almost never nothing._

 

We finished eating and Mark stayed for a few hours, watching a few movies with us. He then left at about 9 and Lauren and I got ready for bed.


	20. Chapter 20

I got up at 6 and went to the kitchen to make waffles and eggs. Once done, I went to Lauren's room to wake her up. I lightly shook her shoulder, whispering her name. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up, stretching.

"Morning Lauren. I made breakfast." She let out a small yawn before running a hand through her messy hair.

"Thanks mom." She got out of bed and trudged her way to the kitchen. When she saw the food, her eyes light up.

"Eat up dear. We're leaving at 7." She gave a nod and began to eat. It was only 6:23 right now.

"Slow down dear. You have plenty of time."

"It's just so good." I let out a small chuckle.

"Thank you Lauren." She soon finished her breakfast and cleaned her plate. She then went to her room to get dressed while I cleaned the kitchen. Lauren came out of her of room, brushing her hair, wearing a pair of faded jeans, dark blue converse, a Starbomb shirt, and a blue jacket. Her blonde hair was getting longer as well. It was now past her shoulders.

"Hey Lauren, do you want to get a haircut soon?" She grabbed a lock of her hair and stared at it.

"Sure. Maybe today?"

"I'll see what I can I do."

"Thank you mom." Lauren gave me a hug and I immediately returned it.

"No problem dear." Lauren pulled away and sat on the couch and began to watch TV.

 

_This is the first night that she hasn't have a nightmare. I'm so glad. I better tell Mark when I get a chance._

 

I got my phone out and dialed the number for the closest hairsalon.

"Hello. How can I help you?"

"Yes. I'd like to make an appointment for my daughter. Anything after 3:30 is good."

"How does 3:40 sound?"

"That sounds nice. Thank you."

"Name please."

"Y/n l/n. My daughter is Lauren l/n."

"Thank you. Your appointment is made at 3:40."

"Ok. Bye." I hung up the phone and looked at the time.

 

_6:53........ Should get ready to leave._

 

"Lauren, grab your backpack. We're going to the car."

"Ok." She grabbed a dark purple backpack and we walked out the door. I locked the door and followed her down the hall, towards the elevator. Once in the car, I saw a bit of sadness in her eyes.

"Hey, if anything goes wrong, call me. Ok?"

"Ok mom. Thanks."

"No problem dear." We drove to her school and when I parked the car, I remembered all the times I was bullied and teased in Jr high. I was brought out of my thoughts when Lauren exited the car. I saw that people were giving her weird looks.

 

_Must be because she walks here normally._

 

Lauren gave a small wave before leaving. I drove back to the apartment only to get a call right when I parked.

 

_Mark._

 

"What's up?"

"Hey, no 'good morning'?" He asked jokingly.

"Good morning Mark. What's up?"

"Good morning. Nothing much. Want to come over and play some games?" I started my car back up.

"Don't have to ask me twice. On my way." I hung up the phone and began to drive to Mark's place. I soon made it and I knocked on the door. He opened it and pulled me into a tight hug. He seemed to hold closer than he normally does. I let out a small laugh and gave his back a pat.

"Great to see you too Mark. Why are you up this early though?" He pulled away and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night."

"Mark, you need sleep. Is everything ok?"

"I was worried about Lauren." Mark sat on the couch and let out a sigh. I sat next to him and rubbed his shoulder.

"Take a nap."

"Huh?"

"Take a nap Mark. You can use my lap as a pillow if want, just take a nap." Mark stared at me before laying down. He was laying on his back, his head on my lap. I gently took his glasses off and set them on the coffee table.

"Sing for me please." He said in a tired voice.

"Ok." I began to softly sing the song he helped me write as I gently ran my fingers through his hair. When I finished the song, Mark was asleep. I continued to stroke his hair as I hummed softly and quietly.

 

_I'll let him sleep for about an hour or so.....Yeah. That sounds right. So about 8:30 or 9 I'll wake him._

 

I looked down at his face and remembered all of the times he would talk seriously in his videos and all of the wonderful things he has done and said.

 

_How can anyone hate this man? I know many don't like his style of videos, a nd that's ok, but Mark himself is a wonderful person. Sweet, kind, caring, helpful...... the list goes on._

 

"How did I get so lucky to find a person like you to make me smile and laugh?" I asked myself quietly.


	21. Chapter 21

After a while, mark shifted around. He was now on his side and he was holding my waist. My cheeks heated up a little. I lightly shook his shoulder.

"M-Mark. Wake up." I whispered. He let out a soft groan and nuzzled into my stomach. My body was tense for a moment before I let out a sigh and relaxed. I went back to running my fingers through his hair. It was so soft and fluffy. My right hand began to trail down his jaw, feeling his scuff. It was as coarse as I thought.

"What are you doing?" Mark asked. I looked down and saw that he was staring at me. He had a small smile, probably enjoying the feeling of my hands running through his hair and scuff.

"I could ask you the same thing." He saw the position we were in and his cheeks dusted pink. He quickly let go of my waist and sat up. He moved to the other side of the couch, looking away.

"Sorry about that." I let out a small laugh.

"It's ok Mark. So, are we going to play games or what?"

"Right. Right. Games. I'm so pro." Mark got up and began hooking up a console and random game.

 

_Glad that Mark is calming down. I was enjoying myself though._

 

He handed me a controller and I saw that the game was Halo.

"I thought you didn't like Halo?" I asked as Mark sat next to me. For some reason, I prefer Mark next to me.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't be pro."

"Whatever you say Markimoo." Mark let out a chuckle.

"You should call me that more often. It's cute." We started a round and I immediately sniped Mark's character.

"Boom. Headshot."

"I'm so going to get you back."

"I'd to see you try-aaa!" Mark had just ran over my character with one of the vehicles.

"How's that?"

"Goddammit Mark." I said as Mark began to laugh next to me. We played for a few hours and those hours consisted of  me constantly killing Mark's character.

"Ok, you know what? Next kill is the ultimate winner." Mark suggested.

"You're on." We kept trying to shoot each while dodging and so far, there was a not a clear winner.

"Winner gets a prize."

"What's the prize Mark?"

"You'll see." I stood in front of Mark, blocking his view.

"Hey! No fair!"

"Eep!" Mark grabbed my waist and pulled me onto his lap. That short distraction was all I needed because I was finally able to kill Mark's character. Mark placed his head on my shoulder and he held my waist tightly.

"Looks like you won." Mark said in his deep voice, sending a chill down my spine.

"Here's your prize." He placed a soft kiss on my cheek. My cheeks became red and I was stuttering. Mark let out a laugh before letting go of my waist, but he seemed a little reluctant to do so. I stood up, covering my cheek.

"M-Mark! What was that for?!" I wasn't angry. Not one bit. Just shocked.

"You're the cutest thing I've seen right now." Mark said while laughing.

"You clearly haven't seen yourself in a mirror lately." He stopped laughing and his cheeks turned red.

"Now it's your turn to blush."

"Sh-shut up." We stared at each other, red faced, and began to laugh. I took out my phone and saw that it was now 2:40.

"I got to get going. Lauren will be getting out of school soon. Oh, and I got good news." I said as I got up and began to make my way to the door.

"What?"

"Lauren didn't have a nightmare last night."

"Yay!" Mark got up and pulled me into a hug and spun me around a little.

"Mark, I know you're happy but please put me down. I'm getting dizzy."

"Oops. Sorry." He set me down and held my arm to make sure I wasn't going to fall over.

"It's ok. It was fun. See you later." He let go of my arm and gave a small wave.

"Bye." I left Mark's place and made my way to my car. Once in, I drove to Lauren's school. By the time I got there, the bell rang. I parked in the parking lot, got out, and waited for Lauren. A few minutes later, I saw Lauren making her way to the parking lot and there were a few girls around her. I recognized two of them and began to feel uneasy. Lauren saw me, and her eyes light up. She walked faster and soon made it. I gave her a quick hug and she got into the car.

"hey, why are you here?" I turned and saw a group of 5 girls in front of me.

"Picking up my daughter from school."

"Lauren doesn't have a mom."

"She does now. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Why would you take someone else's burden?"

"Yeah, and she's not even your kid. How can you love a child that isn't even yours?" My eyes became hard and sharp as I glared at them. I straighten my back as well.

"First of all, she isnn't a burden. No child is, though you all may be pushing that. Second, yes you can love a child that you did not birth and I do love her."

"Ewwww. Pedo."

"Pedo!"

"Pedo!" They shouted as they ran away. I relaxed both my posture and my eyes before getting into my car.

"Thank you mom."

"Huh?"

"Just, thank you." I gave her a smile.

"No problem dear." I started up the car and drove to the hair salon.


	22. Chapter 22

We made it to the salon a few minutes before the appointment.

"So Lauren, are you just going to get a trim?" I asked as we entered the building.

"I don't know."

"Get whatever you want. It's your hair."

"Thank you mom." Lauren got called up and she told the hairdresser what she wanted. My phone vibrated and I looked to see who it was.

 

_Mark, again._

_Mark: Hey, where are you?_

_y/n: At Lauren's hair appointment._

_Mark: Ok. Maybe after that, you two could come over to FusionMix for some yogurt._

_Y/n: Sure. I'll let you know when we get there._

_Mark: Cool. See you soon._

_Y/n: See you soon._

 

I put my phone away and saw that Lauren was almost done. Her hair was now at her ear and it was cut unevenly. It looked messy but in a cute way. She hopped off of the chair and made her way to me.

"What do you think?"

"It's cute. Oh, and how does yogurt sound?" Her eyes light up in excitement.

"Let me pay for this first and then we'll go get yogurt."

"Yay!. Are we going to FusionMix? It's just pass the highschool."

"You mean the one you will be going to next year?"

"Yup." I payed for the haircut and we left the building.

"We could walk there." Lauren suggested.

"Sure. Lead the way." So she did. After a few minutes of walking and Lauren telling me how her day of school was, we made it to the highschool.

"Another 5 or 10 minutes and we'll be there."

"Cool." Before we could pass the school, a teen girl stood in front of us. She had waist-length black hair, in a ponytail, brown eyes that didn't seem too nice, make up, a Markiplier shirt, ripped jeans, and boots. I saw her glaring at Lauren so i stood in front of her, my own eyes hardening.

"Can I help you?"

"Who do you think you are?" She asked me coldly. I did not like the air around her, it was hostile, almost challenging. I straighten my posture and made it to where I was staring down at her.

"How dare you be in a video with Mark! He's mine!" My body relaxed as I let out a sigh.

 

_Is that all? Goddammit. This is bull crap._

 

"Look, can you get out of our way?"

"No. Not until you stay away from my Mark!" She got another look of Lauren.

"And her too. Why was she in the background of one of Mark's videos?! I see how you look at him. You can't have him!" She took a step towards us and my posture straighten up again. I took a step forwards and a low growl was in my throat.

"Suggest that you be the one to back off."

"Why should I?" She challenged. I took another step, my e/c eyes darkening.

"Because I see you as a threat to both my daughter and Mark's community of wonderful fans. Mark is not yours. Mark does not belong to anyone but himself. Stand down now." My voice was low and demanding. Her body stiffen for a moment.

"Fuck you! You're lucky you know! If I see you again, you'll be sorry!" She ran off to who knows where.

 

_Well that could have been worse but also better. Dammit._

 

My body relaxed and turned to face Lauren.

"You ok?"

"Yeah. How are you so brave mom?"

"Huh?"

"Because I would have been too scared to speak if it was only me."

"That's why?"

"What?"

"If you're alone, it's harder to be brave but I have you and Mark." Lauren grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I have you and Mark as well."

"Yep. Now lets go get some yogurt." We continued to walk and soon made it to the shop. I called Mark to let him know that we were at FusionMix. We went inside and waited for Mark.

"Are you going to tell Mark what happened?"

"After yogurt. Let's enjoy our time." She gave a nod and Mark soon came.

"Hey Mark."

"Hey y/n. Woah, nice haircut Lauren."

"Thank you." He ruffled her hair and we got our yogurt. We sat at a table and enjoyed ourselves.

"So Lauren, how was your day at school?" Mark asked.

"Oh, it was good. Not much homework. Just some math."

"Any annoying students?"

"Well yeah but mom took care of them." Mark gave me a weird look.

"What? I didn't hurt them."

"Good. Anyway, I didn't see your car outside."

"Yeah. We walked here from the hair appointment."

"I'll be right back." Lauren said before getting up and leaving for the restroom. As soon as she was out of ear shot, I got Mark's attention.

"On the way here, we ran into a 'fan' of yours."

"What do you mean?"

"She basically threaten both Lauren and I to stay away from you. She claimed that you were her's."

"Y/n, there are some fans out there that-"

"Mark, it's one thing to threaten me. It's another to threaten my daughter and your community. I think it's best if Lauren stays with you at your place. for a while"


	23. Chapter 23

"Ok, Lauren will stay at my place for a while. She'll be safe. I promise."

"I trust you. Thank you." Mark looked like he wanted to say something but Lauren came back.

"Hey dear. Would you like to stay at my place for a while?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah. Just until things blow over." I added.

"Ok. Will you be ok mom?"

"Of coarse dear. I don't think she can do much but better to be safe than sorry." Mark stood up and gave Lauren a pat on the back.

"How about we go to my place and watch a movie or something?" Lauren gave a nod, excited.

"Wait, I have homework." She said with a frown.

"We can help you. Come on, let's go back to the car and we'll meet Mark at his place."

"Ok. See you soon Mark." Mark gave a small wave and we left. I held Lauren's hand as we walked back to our car.

"Hey mom, would it be weird if I called Mark dad?"

"I don't think it's weird. He did say he'll help watch and raise you."

"Ok mom. What do you think the fans will think?"

"Well, his true fans would be glad that Mark is happy. Besides, so far the comments about you have been good or questions. Also Mark will make sure that you're safe and happy. He cares about people. Fans, friends, family, he cares and so do I." Lauren gave me a quick hug and we continued walking.

Soon we made it back to our car but I felt eyes on us. I looked at my rear-view mirror and saw a familiar black haired girl, hiding behind a nearby car, glaring at me. She didn't know that I saw her so i got into my car and started it. I saw her get into a car as well.

 

_Dammit. We may need to take the long way round to Mark's place. I better let him know._

_Y/n: Taking long way. I don't want to lead the crazy girl to you._

_Mark: Ok. See you when you get here._

 

"Lauren, we're taking the long way." I said as I put my phone away.

"Why?"

"That chic from earlier might follow us." I began to drive and she was indeed following us.

"Scratch that. She is following us."

"What are we going to do?"

"Simple. Weave in and out of cars, safely and legally, and confuse the crap out of her. There's no way that she has been driving long enough to know how to get from point A to point B in several steps."

"What?"

"You'll see."

After about 15 minutes of driving, we made it to Mark's place and the chic was no where in sight. I parked the car and got a cloth out of the glove compartment. I then got out of the car and placed the cloth over my licence plate.

"That should do it. Come on Lauren, grab your backpack and let's see Mark." And that's what we did. We were able to get through Lauren's homework quite quickly and easily and we decided to play a few games. I saw that it was 6 so I paused the game.

"Hey Mark, do you want me to cook dinner?"

"Let me do that. You two watch a movie while you wait." Mark said before getting up and walking into the kitchen.

"Lauren, you choose the movie."

"Ok." As Lauren chose the movie, my thoughts began to wonder.

 

_Something seems to be on Mark's mind, but what?_

 

Dinner was soon made and even though is was great having Mark and Lauren on either side of me, a warm meal, and a nice movie to watch, I could not focus.

 

_What's wrong with that chic? How long until I know that Lauren will be safe? When will those rude girl leave her alone? What's on Mark's mind?_

 

Lauren let out a yawn, bring me out of my thoughts. I looked at the clock, realizing that it was now 9:42. Mark got up and picked Lauren up. She rested her head on his shoulder in a tired state as her eyes began to droop shut. Another yawn left her mouth.

"I'll be right back." Mark whispered as he brought Lauren to bed. A minute or two later, Mark came back.

"Hey y/n, didn't you have work today?" He asked as he sat next to me on the couch.

"I called Jessica yesterday and asked if I could come in tomorrow instead of today for this week."

"I see, cool." Mark was a little tense. Something was bugging him.

"Are you ok Mark?"

"It's just......" He let out a sigh before continuing.

"Lauren called me 'dad' when I placed her in the bed and I think I need to say this now." My body stiffened up at the thought of what he was going to say. Mark pulled me into a tight hug and he held me close to his chest. I could feel his heartbeat and my body began to relax. One hand was rubbing my back, the other running through my hair.

"Y/n, I care about both you and Lauren." He pulled his hand out of my hair and rested it on my cheek. It felt so warm and soft. He brought his face closer to mine.

"I like you a lot as well. Will you let me be your boyfriend?" He asked in his deep voice. His face was so close to mine, our noses were almost touching. 


	24. Chapter 24

Our noses were touching, his brown eyes were staring into my e/c ones. There was a bit of mischief in them but they also very caring. His thumb was gently rubbing my cheek. I noticed that Mark had moved me on to his lap. My hands were on his chest, lightly clutching his red flannel shirt. I leaned up, my lips meeting his soft ones. The hand on my back traveled to my waist. The kiss was short and sweet but it was enough for Mark to have his answer. When I pulled away, my lips tingled a little and Mark wore this tiny, sweet smile. When I realized what I did, my cheeks heated up and I buried my face into his chest, hiding my red face. His chest rumbled as he let out a chuckle.

"You're so cute y/n." He said as he held my waist. I felt like I was being hugged by a teddy bear. We sat there for a while, Mark holding me and rubbing my back, me snuggling closer to him, when I remembered something. I let out a small chuckle. Mark pulled away and looked at me with curiosity.

"What's so funny dear?" I wore a smirk and poked his chest.

"You have to get up early and drive Lauren to school tomorrow." I said in a bit of a sing-song voice. I then giggled when Mark let out a groan. He then buried his face in the crook of my neck, his breath tickling my skin and it sent a shiver down my spine.

"I don't wanna." He whined jokingly, but he seemed to notice the second shiver.

"Wait, do you like this?" He asked quietly. His breath and voice sending causing me to shudder, the whole time I was biting my lip, trying to keep any sound from escaping. I felt him smirk before blowing air on my neck. My body jolted and I tightly clutched his shirt as I let out a short gasp.

"M-Mark, pl-please stop." I stuttered out. He pulled away and gave my cheek a kiss.

"I'm sorry. It's just so cute. I'll stop though." I let out a sigh.

"Thank you Markimoo."

"It's always adorable when you call me that." I saw the time and frowned.

 

_10:12_

 

I got up and stretched.

"I got to get going Mark. I'll see you tomorrow." Mark got up and gave me a hug.

"Be safe." He whispered before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"I will. You too." We pulled away and I left for my car. I then soon made it home and once inside my apartment, I changed and went to bed.

I woke up to the blaring of my alarm clock at 6:02. I turned the alarm off and let out a sigh. I rolled over to one side to try to stay more comfortable, only to fall off of my bed.

"Oof." I let out a groan as I sat up and held my head.

"Well, that's one way of waking up." I stood up and stretched before going to my closet to get dressed. I noticed it was 6:10 when i finished so I decided to call Mark, to see if he was awake. After three rings, a very tired, groggy, and deep voice answered.

"W-what?"

"Mark, wake up. You have to take Lauren to school today." He let out a yawn and I heard movement, most likely him getting out of bed.

"5 more minutes." He whined.

"I gave you 10. Hey, once you drop her off, you can either go back to sleep or get some videos recorded."

"True. I'll talk to you later."

"Ok. Bye Markimoo."

"Bye dear." When I hung up the phone, my cheeks were red. I went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

 

_Dear? He called me dear. I swear, that man is a lovable dork. I hope Lauren will be ok at school today. I hope she'll be safe as well._

 

Once I was all ready, I drove to the library. Work was slow again but it was still tolerable. When my shift was over, I got a call from Mark.

"What's up?" I asked as I walked to my car.

"Lauren got home early and she needs you. Now." His voice was serious but it also seemed a little sad or was it something else?

 

_I don't have time to analyze his tone. Lauren needs me, now. I need to get to her as fast as I can without breaking any laws............or at least not get caught._

 

I swiftly got into my car and started it up.

"I'm on my way." I then chucked my phone in the back seat as I drove to Mark's place as fast as I could. My heart was pounding so hard and fast, I felt my ribs aching. My mind was a mess as well as I went from one thought to the next within less than a second. I finally made it and I parked my car, ran to Mark's door and waited for him to open it. When he finally did, my ears rang with the painful noise of a loved one crying. Mark's face was heartbroken and I began to feel sick seeing someone who is almost always smiling, laughing, or just happy be this sad and heartbroken. I sped walked to Lauren's door and knocked on it.

"Lauren, dear it's me." Before I could say anymore, her door swung open and she tackled me into a hug but not a happy one. This was a comfort and protection hug. She held my shirt tightly as her frame was shaking from crying. I pulled away and gently held her face. Her left cheek was bruised and so were her wrists. I pulled her close to me and held her tightly.

"Lauren, dear what happened?"

"They-they-they....." She couldn't get her words out.

"Shhh. It's ok. We'll talk later."

"Mommy." Her voice cracked and it was so quiet. Mark came over rand wrapped his arms protectively around us. I could tell he was trying not to cry himself. I began to feel sick seeing my loved ones in this state. There was also something else. I began to feel a little angry that someone caused all of this.

 

_Someone hurt my family. No one does that without me getting involved._


	25. Chapter 25

After a while, Lauren began to calm down. Her crying was now just sniffles.

"Dear, lets take you to the bathroom to clean you up. OK?" She just gave a nod. Mark pulled away and helped me guide Lauren to the bathroom. She sat on the toilet seat and I began to wet a cloth with warm water. Mark got a first aid kit. Lauren took her jacket off and I saw that she had a few scraps on her arms. After I gently washed them as Mark disinfected them. We then put band-aids on them.

"Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

"Can-can I stay home tomorrow?" She asked while looking up at me with teary eyes. Before answering, I looked at her injuries.

 

_A bruised cheek, bruised wrists, scraps and cuts on her face, arms, and knees........._

 

"Tell me what happened first, please." I said a little reluctantly.

"I'll get some water." Mark said before leaving for the kitchen. I held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Do you want to sit on the couch?" She gave a small nod.

"Please." Her voice was a little quiet and a little shaky. I picked her up and carried her to the living room. I set her down on the couch and Mark handed her a cup of water.

"............After dad-er Mark dropped me off, a lot of students questioned me who he was, why he had me, and where you went. No one really listened though."

"How so?"

"Well, most wouldn't believe that I was adopted in the first place or they thought that you already gave me up." My eyes widen and I pulled her into a tight hug.

"I would never do that."

"There were a few who knew who Mark was and they were not happy." I held her tighter and Mark did not look very pleased. Even though his face showed concern, his eyes told more of the story. There was confusion, disappointment, and maybe a little bit of anger.

"Where they the ones.........." Mark trialed off.

"Not all of them." I could tell she wasn't saying something important but I wont push it......yet. She'll tell me when she's ready.

"Lauren, do you have any tests tomorrow?" I asked.

"No."

"Good. You're staying home them. I'll call the school to let them know."

"No. I'll take care of that." Mark said, already dialing the number.

"Thank you mom, Mark."

"Lauren, you are more than allowed to call me your dad if you want. Ok?" Mark said before leaving the room to talk on the phone. I pulled away from the hug but I still sat near Lauren.

"I have work tomorrow but I'll be back at 3, ok?" She gave a nod. She was quiet for a moment before speaking up.

"Mom, how did you deal with bullies?"

"One method does not work for all. If it's avoidable, I try to avoid it. If not, I ignore it if I can. If that's not possible, I become passive-aggressive. Finally, do you remember how I acted when I picked you up from school or when we walked pass the highschool?"

"Yeah."

"That can work as well."

"Ok. Will they stop?"

"I can not answer that. Only time will. Do know that I'm always here for you though and so is Mark." She gave a nod.

"Can-can you sing for me? Please."

"Oh course." I cleared my throat before singing.

"You come to me with scares on your wrists. You tell me 'this will be the last night, feeling like this'. I just came to say 'goodby'. I didn't want you to see me cry. I'm fine, but I knock it's a lie. This is the last night you'll spend alone. Look me in the eyes so I know you know. I'm everywhere you want me to be. The last night you'll spend alone. I'll wrap you in my arms and I wont let go. I'm everything you need me to be. The night is so long, when everything is wrong. If you give me your hand, I'll help you hold on, tonight. I wont let you say 'goodbye' and I'll be your reason why. The last night away from me. Away from me." The whole song was in a low, soft tone. I looked over and saw that Lauren fell asleep.

 

_Poor thing. She must be tired. I'll let her sleep for a while. I need to defend my family. Not just Lauren but also Mark and the community as well. When I was just a fan at the beginning, I was welcomed in with open arms. We were so small back then though. 400,000. Mark was still the same caring goofball he is now. I wont let anyone poison that. I wont let anyone harm my family.......Speaking of Mark, where is he? It should not take this long to speak with the school unless they are being dingusses._

 

Mark came back and wore a small smile when he saw Lauren.

"The school said we can pick up her homework at 3 tomorrow." He said in a low whisper. I gave a nod before picking up Lauren and taking her to her room.


	26. Chapter 26

When I reentered the living room, Mark seemed to be in deep thought.

"Mark, what are we going to do?"

"About what?"

"About Lauren. Normally I tend to stay out of other people's fights but.......... I feel as though this is different. I feel as though I need to get directly involved. I just dont know how to do that correctly." Mark wrapped an arm around my shoulders and began to rub my arm.

"We have to start somewhere. We can all the school to-" I pulled away from Mark's comfort and cut him off.

"Mark, they wont do anything and you know it! Schools don't know how to deal with bullies properly. Most schools wont do anything at all and the ones that do act, do it incorrectly. If there is a psychical fight, you cant fight back or eles you will be suspended. If you go to the counselor because you are being verbally attacked, they'll blow you off saying that words cant hurt you, or they'll tell you to leave the area that it's happening, or go tell your teacher. What if it's happening during class? You can't leave in the middle of class or go off campus. Also, a teacher would just tell you to go to your counselor or not do anything at all. Most adults wont do anything about bullies or bulling. Most just try to get it off of their shoulders and put it on someone else's." Mark grabbed my shoulders and looked me directly in the eyes. I was panting, probably because I didn't take a single breath through that whole rant.

"Please calm down y/n. I know that the system is broken. We both know. We lived it not too long ago." Mark's voice was calming. My body, that I didn't know was tense, began to relax. I lowered my head, a little bit a shamed that I had just yelled at Mark for no reason and ranted.

"I-I'm sorry Mark. I should not have shouted at you. Sorry." My voice was more quieter than normal. Mark lifted my chin up with his fingers and kissed my nose.

"I'm not mad at you and I understand your anger." My cheeks heated up slightly. Mark wore a sweet smile, maybe he was proud that he can make me blush. I leaned up and quickly pecked his lips. My own proud smile has his cheeks heated up. I started to giggle. Mark rested his forehead against mine and he let out a chuckle.

"You're a cute smug bastard."

"I know." Mark gently held my hand.

"Can you stay the night? Please." There was something hidden behind his words. Something he wasn't telling me. He's worried about something but what?

"Sure and you're not sleeping on the couch or floor." Mark stared at me before smirking. He swiftly picked me up bridal style and pecked my lips.

"Same to you." I let out a short laugh.

"Deal. Now, let's go record some Okami episodes." Mark and I got everything set up and he started to play. Watching his eyes sparkle with excitement for the game was nice. His smile and laugh was enjoyable as well. I felt a little bad though. He was so happy about playing the second arc and I know what happens at the end. Oh well.

We recorded a few episodes worth and decided to take a break by watching a movie. Mark gave me a change of clothe so I could relax. I was wearing one of his shirts, which was very big on me, and a pair of his shorts. They were so comfy. As the movie went, Mark moved me to his lap and held my waist. I wasn't complaining though. I felt so safe and comfortable in his grasp. After a while, I let out a small yawn.

"Tired?" Mark asked as he placed a kiss on my cheek. I turned my body so I was sideways and I rested my head against his chest.

"Yeah." I quietly and tiredly answered. His chest rumbled as he let out a chuckle. Mark's hold on me changed so he was able to carry me to his room.

"Mark, I can walk." I tiredly whined. He pecked my lips as he set me down on the bed.

"I know but I like holding you." He then climbed into bed and pulled me close to his chest. I snuggled closer, enjoying the warmth he gave off. Mark placed a kiss on my forehead before whispering, "Goodnight." My body became heavier every second as I slowly fell into the depths of sleep. Before sleep could fully take over my senses, I heard Mark whisper three words to me, thinking I was asleep. Those three words filled me with so much warmth inside.

"You're safe now."


	27. Chapter 27

I let out a groan as I slowly woke up. I heard soft snoring and I felt strong arms around me. I looked up and saw Mark's sleeping face. It was relaxed and there was a soft smile that could make anyone smile as well. His body was curled around me, protectively. I was so warm and comfortable but I had to get up. I have work but I want to stay. I looked at the bedroom clock and saw that it was only 5:40. I laid my head back onto Mark's chest and relaxed.

 

_I'll rest for another 20 minutes before I get up._

 

Mark's hold on me changed. His thumb was rubbing small circles on my back and his other hand was holding my head gently. It was soothing and relaxing. I just laid there, hearing his gentle heartbeat and slow breathing. I wanted to stay like this longer but I had to get up. I slowly and carefully got out of his hold and off of the bed. I stretched as I stood up. I heard Mark shift a little but I didn't think much of it. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. Mark pulled me onto his lap, my back against his chest, and he placed his head on my shoulder.

"Hmmm where do you think you're going?" Mark asked as he kissed my cheek. His voice was deep and sleepy.

"Work, sadly." He then kissed the area where my neck and shoulder connected, an area he knew was sensitive. A shiver went down my spine as I let out a gasp. I felt Mark smirk as he began to lightly nibble the area.

"M-Mark, I need to-to get ready." I was trying not to moan. He stopped and pecked my lips.

"Ok, just be safe on your way there."

"I will." He let go of my waist and laid back down on the bed. He almost instantly fell back asleep. A small smile formed as I let out a quiet chuckle.

 

_Sleep well Mark._

 

I grabbed the uniform and left the room, passing Lauren's before making it to the bathroom.

 

_Sleep well Lauren._

 

I got dressed and fixed my hair before going to the kitchen. I made myself some toast and began to nibble it while I checked Tumblr.

 

_ Man, they sure are enjoying the Okami playthrough. I haven't really seen much of negative stuff either. Then again, this community is full of amazing people. Oh my god! Someone drew fan art of Mark and I on the couch playing Okami! It's so cute!...............Huh? What's this? _

 

I found a thing on Tumblr talking about Lauren. It was from when Lauren appeared in the background of one of the episodes. I began to read it.

 

_**Who is that girl? Well, it's Lauren, a classmate bla bla, 8th grader bla bla a pig?** A bit mean.  **Bla  bla, a stupid cunt?** Fuck you.  **Probably gave her body** -What the fuck?! That is wrong on so many levels. Too many._

 

I closed out of Tumblr and put my phone in my pocket.

"Well, that's enough for today. I'll talk to Mark abut this when I finish work. Mm, good toast. Maybe Mark could upload a video.........Aa! My toast!" As I was talking, I dropped the last bit of toast but I caught it. I then tossed it into my mouth.

"I really need to stop talking to myself." I cleaned up any mess I made and went to my car. I felt very uneasy as soon as I left the place, like someone was watching me. When I made it to my car, my posture changed and I took a quick glace around. When I didn't find anything, my body relaxed somewhat. Still ready to defend myself in case anything sprung out from the shadows. I drove to the library but the uneasiness never left. If anything, it increased. I was starting to become a little paranoid, looking over my shoulder every few moments during work, paying attention when ever a new sound came, and I did not like one bit of it.

 

_ Calm down Y/n. It's not like you can't handle it. You always carry something for defense on you. Always. Besides, your eyes are enough for most threats...............Why am I talking to myself again?! _

 

I placed my hand on the left side of my hip, relaxing that the item was still there. My hand didn't leave from that spot for a moment. Finally, my shift ended so I made my way to my car. I grabbed the car handle when I heard the pitter-patter of running feet coming towards me. My eyes harden and I quickly swung my left arm our as I turned my body. I felt a searing pain in my arm as something wet traveled down it. I gritted my teeth, refusing to utter out a sound. I saw a glare of light hit my eyes as it was reflected off of a sharp metal surface. Then it hit me. I had just used my arm to deflect a knife.

 

_Shit._


	28. Chapter 28

I had my back against my car door and I kept my eyes on my attacker. The cut in my arm was burning and I could tell it was deep. I took a handkerchief out of my pocket and tied  it around the cut, stopping the bleeding somewhat. My attacker was panting and her pupils were extremely constricted and shaking. Her right hand was clutching the handle of the knife so tightly that her fingers gone white-knuckle. Her knife was just a basic kitchen knife and it had quite a bit of blood on it. My blood. I recognized her as the fan from the highschool.

 

_Dammit. This is not good. She got a good hit on me. I'm already injured and she is not in the correct mind set either. I need to get out of here and get this fixed. I don't want to hurt her though._

 

My eyes soften a bit at the last thought and that was a big mistake. Hey pupils sudden dilated, almost taking up the whole eye, and thy stopped shaking. She lunged at me with knife raised. I swiftly pulled my switch blade out from the left side of my hip and blocked her knife with it. Pain spiked through my left arm as I put pressure on it.

"Stand down!" I commanded as I swung my leg out at her flank, knocking her back. I quickly got into my car and locked it. She got up and began to bang against the door and window.

 

_She's lost it! I need to get out of here. Now. To the hospital!_

 

I started the engine and drove off. Once at the hospital, I called Mark to let him know what happened, kinda. I didn't tell him who the attacker was. He was freaking out though.

"Mark, I'm fine. They're cleaning the wound right now."

"Y/n, dear I'm so sorry about this."

"Mark, I'm stopping you there right now. It's ok. It's not your fault."

"But-"

"No buts. I'll be fine. Once it's all stitched up, I'll be going home and then your place."

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

"Nope. Just stay with Lauren and keep her safe."

"Ok.........but what about you?" Mark mumbled the last bit.

"I got to go. Bye."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and let the doctor and nurse finish fixing my wound. I was then sent home. I changed into a T-shirt and jeans before making my way to Mark's place.As soon as his door opened, I was pulled into a tight embrace. Mark had one arm around my waist and the other was running through my hair. He was smothering my face with kisses.

"Mark, even though I am loving this, I'm fine."

"You're hurt though. It could have been worse."

"But it wasn't." I pulled away from his hold and kissed him on the lips.

"I'm safe now."

"Not until we do something about your attacker."

"Mark, drop it. We have more important matters."

"Like what?"

"Mom?" Lauren asked. She was standing in the hallway before tackling me into a hug. I patted her head.

"Hey dear. I'm safe and it's going to be ok. I promise."

"Y/n."

"Right." I explained to both of them what I found on Tumblr earlier. Mark did not look very pleased about it. We all then chatted about what we could do about it and what would work best.

"I think we should just tell the fans."

"Hmmm lets see, you met me one day in the park and you let me stay at your place until I got my own. Turns out I was an orphan, I got a job, I adopted Lauren who turned out to be an old friend of mine, and you're helping me raise her, and now we are dating all in about a months time. Sounds like a bad fanfic Mark."

"It's better than nothing." I let out a sigh.

"Ok Mark. I trust you."

"Yeah, I trust you dad as well." When Lauren called him 'dad', his eyes sparkled and a big smile formed.

"I think the both of you should appear in the video then." Lauren and I looked at each other before nodding.

"Sure, we need to get this sorted out." We made a video explaining who Lauren and I were and why we were here. The video was then uploaded.

"That wont solve the problem on it's own. Your fans will help though. I know they will."

"Yeah, I'm so lucky to be blessed with the awesome and wonderful fans and community I have."

"Mark, the feeling is mutual. The way you feel about us is the same we feel about you." I pecked his lips and Lauren hugged him. Mark held Lauren close to him and the scene in front of me made me smile. I was cradling my arm when I remembered something.

 

_I still have work tomorrow but I'll be off for Friday and Saturday._

 

I looked at my arm, thinking.

 

_I should be fine. As long as Lauren is safe, I'll manage._


	29. Chapter 29

Lauren was in her room, working on homework. Mark and I were playing Okami but he kept looking at my arm every few moments. I could tell he was worried. He paused the game and stopped the recording before turning to face me.

"Y/n, do you know who your attacker was?"

"Huh?"

"Look, I may not be as good as you when it comes to picking up lies and secrets or emotions but something tells me that you know." His brown eyes were staring into mine, they looked so caring. I was going to lie but I realized two things. 1, lying to his eyes and hart would be near impossible. 2, it would do no one any good if I lied about this.

"..........Y-yes. It was.......that fan from the other day. The one that threatened Lauren and I." Mark suddenly engulfed me in a tight embrace. He held me close to him, in a protective and apologetic way. He probably felt guilty about this. I wrapped my arms around him, wincing a little.

"Mark, it's ok. It's not your fault." Mark pulled away and gently held my face in his warm, soft hands. His thumbs were rubbing my cheeks gently. He leaned in and his soft lips pressed against mine. We kissed longer than we have been. When he pulled away, he pulled one of his hands away and gently held my left wrist. I leaned into the other hand, enjoying it's comforting touch. He stared at my stitches before kisses around them. Each kiss sent a shock through me.

"I'm so sorry that this happened. It's my fault." He was almost crying and I felt as though someone was punching my heart.

"Mark, what are you talking about? It can't be your fault." Mark gently laced his fingers in-between mine. The air around us suddenly became tense.

"After I got off of the phone with the school, I received another call. A young, female voice was on the other line. She told me, if you and Lauren kept appearing in videos with me, I may not see you two unharmed." His voice was quiet, shaky and he was trying not to cry. I quickly stood up from the couch, yanking my arm out of grasp. A sharp, burning pain surged through my arm but I ignored it. Mark looked up at me in shock, startled by my sudden movement.

"Let me get the clear. You knew that Lauren and I could be in danger and you didn't tell either of us?" My voice was a little louder than normal but not shouting level.

"Y/n look, I can-"

"By not telling either of us, you put Lauren in more danger. I could care less about my own safety but Lauren's......I promised that I would keep her safe, I would keep her happy." Mark stood up, making his way towards me.

"Y/n, please calm down. I can-" I took a step back, out of his reach.

"You can what?! What Mark? Turn back the clock so you could have told me sooner? Or maybe you could have called the cops? Look, this chic knows your number, she knows were I work, she knows where Lauren goes to school, she could already know where we both live by now. To make matters worse, she isn't in the right state of mind, and it's only going to get worse when she finds about this whole ordeal about the three of us." I let out a sigh before continuing.

"I don't know if Lauren is safe here anymore. Mark, I think it would be best if Lauren and I lea-oof." Mark suddenly pinned me down to the couch. Both of his hands were on either side of my head and his knees were on either side of my legs. His head was down, his hair covering his face.

"Y/n, please stop. I know I made a huge mistake. I know that because if it, I put both you and Lauren in danger. I know that you already got hurt because if it. I know I can't fix it, but please, don't leave. I know I can keep you both safe. I know I can. Please, give me a chance. I love the both of you too much to let anything else happen. Please don't leave. Please let me protect the both of you." His voice cracked a lot and it was heartbreaking hearing him.

"Mark, look at me. Please." He slowly lifted his head and my heart broke. He had tears streaming down his red cheeks. His eyes were red, puffy, sad, and pleading. I gently whipped his tears away.

"I'm not leaving. I promise. I'll let you protect Lauren and I if, you let me protect you and Lauren as well." He sniffled and kissed my nose before smiling.

"Thank you y/n." He then sat up and pulled me close to him, placing me on his lap.

"And Mark?'

"Hm?" I pecked his lips before nuzzling into his chest.

"I love you too."

________________________________________________________

Hey guys just a few things real quick.

1\. What should we name the fan?

2\. How would you describe the 'reader' personality?

3\. Do you think how reader reacted made sense/fit?

4\. thank you all so much for giving my story a read. There will still be more to come and feel free to leave suggestions down below in the comments.


	30. Chapter 30

It was the next day and I was getting ready for work. I went to my messenger bag and began to rumage through it, looking for a certain item. Lauren was near by, making sure that she had everything she needed for school.

"Lauren, dear before you go, do you know how to use pepper-spray?" I asked, not looking up from the bag.

"Yes?" She said a bit confused as to why I asked the question.

"Catch." I then looked up and tossed her a can of pepper-spray. I then stood up and stretched my back since I was squatting the whole time. Lauren looked at the car in confusion and shock before looking at me and back to the can.

"M-mom, why do you-"

"When you're in a hostile environment, you need protection. During the weekend I'll teach you how to use a switch blade properly like me. I'm normally not one for violence but this is different."

"Aren't you going to say something like 'don't use this willy-nilly' or 'don't use it unless you have to' or something like that?" She asked a bit frantically.

"Nope. Just don't get caught and besides, I know you're not an irresponsible idiot. Also, if the school questions, plead the 5th and call me. I'll be your lawyer." I made sure I had everything before giving Lauren a kiss on the forehead.

"Be safe. I'll see you when I get back." She gave me a tight hug.

"You too mom." We pulled away and I made my way to the door. Before I could leave, Mark pulled me into a hug.

"So, you're going to teach our daughter how to use a switchblade? You are probably the most terrifying friend I have ever known. Glad that you're on our side."

"Mark, you should have seen me in my high school and collage days. I got to get going though. Stay safe as well."

"Hey, are you going to teach me as well?"

"Nope. You're better suited with a long-ranged weapon." I pecked his lips and pulled out of his hug.

"Make sure Lauren is not late for school. When I get back, we'll play some Okami."

"Ok. I can't wait to kick that fox's ass." I let out a chuckle before leaving for my car. My arm was already feeling a lot better but I still need to let it rest, somewhat. When I got to work Jessica immediately started asking question like: Are you ok?, Do you know who did it?, Did you call the cops?

"Jessica, I'm fine. I'm a fast healer and a strong woman."

"How about you have all of next week off?"

"What?! No, it's fine."

"But you're injured."

"But I need the money."

"A paid medical leave then."

"Jessica look-"

"You're injured, you work too hard anyway, and you'll still get money for your daughter Lauren."

"But I didn't earn it. This isn't even a serious injury."

"No buts. I'm your boss and I say you have next week off." I let out a sigh, knowing that I can't change her mind.

"Ok fine. At least let me work today." Before Jessica could say anything my e/c eyes flashed before hardening. She quickly shut her mouth and nodded before leaving. I relaxed my eyes, my body going slightly slack.

 

_Well, even though that works it's a dick move. Oh well. That gives me more time to spend with Mark and Lauren then. Still though, why was she persistent about giving me the week off? Also, did Mark tell her about the attack? Maybe my doctor did. Something is a little off here._

 

I decided to think about it later and get to work. It wasn't easy since I'm left dominant and I cant really use my left arm that much. Stamping, carrying, putting away books was a little much for my sore and tired muscles in my arm.

 

_Damm it. If I'm struggling doing this, how can I teach Lauren how to use a switchblade tomorrow?.......Wow. That sounds really bad when I think about it..............Oh well._

 

I went back to work but Jessica kept looking at me and offered to do stuff for me multiple times. I'm ok with accepting help but I don't want offers to do stuff for me. Every time I saw her eyes, I saw guilt in them.

 

_Does she feel guilty about what happened?_

 

I pushed the thought away and continued working. Finally, my shift ended and I went to my car. As I was driving back to Mark's place, my mind kept going back to earlier. Suddenly I slammed on my brakes when I realized something.

"How did she know that I have a daughter named Lauren!? I never told her!" I then sped up, my mind racing until I heard car horns and a pair of bright headlights coming towards me.

"Fuck." I muttered before quickly swerving out of the way. I steadied the car and let out a sigh.

"Well, I nearly died. Better not tell Mark or he'll get his boxers in a knot." I continued driving without a problem until I made it to Mark's place. The place was empty though.

 

 _Mark probably left to pick Lauren up. Maybe I could make them some lunch._    


	31. Chapter 31

By the time I was done cooking, Mark and Lauren came home.

"Welcome back!" I called from the kitchen.

"Mom!"

"Y/n!" They shouted excitedly. Mark came into the kitchen and saw the grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

"You didn't have to make lunch."

"You're right." I said as I washed my hands.

"I wanted to." Lauren wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. I patted her head.

"Hey dear. How was school? Wait, let me guess. Since I didn't get a call, you either had no problems or you did but you didn't get caught. Right?" She pulled away wearing a bright smile.

"I didn't have any problems. They just looked at me weird." Mark handed Lauren a plate that had a sandwich on it.

"Here you go."

"Thank you." She said before taking a bite out of it.

"Well, it's a start. Oh, that reminds me." I said as I poured soup into bowls for us.

"What?" Mark asked as he took a bite out of his sandwich.

"I have all of next week off. That will give me plenty of time to spend time with the both of you and get some of my writing done."

"Yay!"

"Why?"

"Jessica said that since I'm injured, I should take a paid medical leave and rest."

"Hmmmm Lauren, how about you eat in your room. I trust that you wont make a mess." Lauren gave a nod.

"Ok. I can also get my homework done as well." She said before taking her food to her room. Mark then turned to face me, his face showing some concern and worry.

"Y/n I suddenly have a bad feeling about Jessica." I gave a nod.

"Same. I never told her about my injury but maybe my doctor did. But..."

"But what?"

"She somehow knew about Lauren being my daughter. She even knew her name. I never mentioned Lauren to her, at all."

"She could be a fan." Mark suggested hopefully. I let out a sigh and leaned against the counter and ran my hand through my hair.

"Y/n you need to relax. Also, eat your food." I let out a chuckle and took a bite out of my sandwich.

"Ok, ok, ok. I like how Mister Workaholic is telling me to relax." I set down my food as I closed my arms. Mark wrapped an arm around my waist and gently held my right hand before slowly spinning me into him. He then held both of my hands as he place his head on my shoulder.

"You don't go back to work until next Sunday. Just relax. You can spend more time with me." I chuckle a little when I felt his breath tickle my neck.

"That sounds nice. I can sleep in tomorrow then." Mark started to nibble on my neck as we swayed to and fro.

"Even though I'm liking this, we have some Okami to record." He placed a soft kiss where his was nibbling before letting go of me.

"While you get everything all set up, I'll let Lauren know that we are recording." I said as I made my way to her room. I knocked on her door.

"Lauren, are you done eating?" She opened the door, holding an empty plate and bowl.

"Yeah. I'm almost with my homework as well."

"No need to rush dear. Also, Mark and I are about to record for a while."

"Ok mom." Before I could respond, her phone went off. I took her plate and bowl out of hands as she went to her phone to answer it.

"Hello? Oh hey Jen. Yeah, I'm almost with the math homework. Yes we had homework. Ok. It's page-" I closed the door and went to the sink to clean the plate and bowl.

 

Lauren has a friend now. Yay! Even if it's just a nice classmate, it's a start.

 

After I cleaned the dishes and put them away, I joined Mark on the couch.

"I was starting to get lonely." I lightly shoved his shoulder as we both let out a short laugh.

"Shut up you doof."

"Hello everybody. My name is Markiplier."

"And I'm y/n."

"And we're continuing from where we left off at in Okami." So, while Mark went through the castle, trying to get to the 'fox bitch' as he calls it, I enjoyed the smiles and laughs he had. He finally got the end of the castle but there was no fox to be found. There was a constellation though.

"What? Where did that bitch go?"

"Add a star Mark. You'll see." So he did and out came the fox from it.

"But I thought only Brush Gods could that?"

"Yep. He sees himself as a God though. Now, kick his ass!"

"You got it." So, the fight begins.


	32. Chapter 32

"Finally! That took forever!"

"Now we get narration since you just beat the second arc and so begins the third, in the next video."

"Ok guys. Thank you for watching and we, will see you in the next video."

"Buh by." We both waved into camera before stopping the recording. Mark then leaned into the couch.

"You'll love this next arc Mark. It'll still be a while before we get to the end though."

"This game......it knows how to tell a story and make you get attached to characters quickly, and the combat....the combat is interesting." It was quiet for a moment before Mark pulled me onto his lap and he then placed his head on my shoulder. He began to play with my hair, something he knew I liked. He kissed my cheek before nuzzling into my neck.

"Do you need something Mark?" I asked playfully.

"A kiss." I let a small giggle.

"I can do that." I placed my hand gently on his cheek and pressed my lips against his. He moved his hands from my hair, to my cheeks. When we pulled away, my cheeks were a little red still not used to being kissed by Mark.

"Hey mom?" I heard Lauren ask. I got up from Mark's lap and saw Lauren standing in the hallway.

"Yes?"

"Can I go to Jen's place after school tomorrow? She wants to have a sleep over." Her eyes almost seemed to have stars in them as they looked to hopeful.

"Hmmm, are you going to bring the pepper-spray with you?"

"Yeah. Are you going to- wait what?" Mark asked as he looked at me.

"I'll explain later."

"Yep."

"Then I'm fine with it. Just be safe."

"What your mom said." I let out a small chuckle at Mark's statement.

"Yay! Thank you mom!" She tackled me into a tight hug while giggling before doing the same to Mark.

"Thank you dad." He let out a chuckle as he spun her around once.

"So, who is Jen?" I asked. Once she had her feet on the ground, she faced me.

"Well, when I was Texas she went to the same school as me until I moved here. We were really great friends, I was so sad when I had to leave. Her family recently moved here so now we go to the same school again!" She was so happy until she mentioned leaving but her happiness returned at the end. I pulled her into a hug.

"That's great dear. True friends always find a way to stay together." I gave her head a pat before looking at the time.

"It's getting late. I think we should be going to bed." Lauren nodded before leaving for her room. Suddenly, Mark picked me up bridal style and carried me to his room. He pecked my lips before gently setting me on the bed. I had already changed into one of his shirts and shorts while we were recording earlier.

"You know, you look really cute right now in my clothes. I think they suit you better."

"And you're always cute no matter what you wear. Even if it's nothing." I said with a smirk before laughing when I saw how red his face became.

"Now then, are you going to stand there or are you going to join me in bed? It's getting cold." Mark crawled into bed next to me and pulled me close him, snuggling me. I felt so much warmer and safer in his grasp.

"Ok then. At least I have my cuddle buddy." Soon I fell asleep to his soft heartbeat and slow breathing.

I woke up a bit cold so I opened my eyes to see why. Mark was not next to me but he was still in the room. He was buttoning up his flannel shirt when an idea popped into my head. I quietly got out of bed and snuck up behind him. I then wrapped my arms around his waist from behind and began to nibble on his neck, near his profound collarbone. He let out a short gasp as he body shivered. I continued to nibble his neck as I lightly trailed my hands up and down his chest. He seemed to melt at my touch. When I finally pulled away, I saw that I left a hickey. Feeling proud I kissed it before pecking Mark's lips. I could of sworn I heard a growl when I stopped my actions. He then let out a dark chuckle.

"Oh, I am so getting you back for this later."

"We'll see about that Marky Mark." We both shared a small laugh before Mark left to go wake Lauren up. A different idea popped into my head so I grabbed my notebook and began to write in it.

 

_It's so nice to have time to be able to do the things I like. I do wonder what Mark has in store for me though. I wonder if I'll be able to turn the tables._


	33. Chapter 33 (Lemon) (Major Sex actions ahead)

Hey guys real quick, this is my first lemon so sorry if it isn't that good. Also, there should be another chapter up so in case you do not wish to read this, you don't have to. There is no plot in this except for that there is sex in here. That is all.

After Mark and Lauren left, the apartment was quiet. I used to enjoy silence. I still do, just not when no one is around. I let out a sigh as I walked around the empty apartment. I looked at my stitches, smiling because I was almost fully healed. I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice the door open and close. I felt warm, strong arms wrap around my waist and I pulled close to a chest. I relaxed when I smelled the familiar cologne that Mark wears. He blew air on my neck before nibbling on it. My body stiffened up before feeling as though I was melting away. Mark's hands began to knead my hips as he continued to nip at my neck. I bit my knuckle as I crossed my legs, my cheeks were heating up. Mark finally stopped nipping my neck as he placed a kiss in the spot he left a hickey. I emitted a low growl as I spun around and pinned Mark to the wall.

"It appears you are trying to dominate me." I got really close to his face ad lightly bit the tip of his nose.

"Let's see if you can." My voice was low and mischievous. I grabbed his chin and pulled him into a deep kiss. He let out a small moan in the kiss. He pushed against me, trying to get away from the wall, but I kept him in place. I pulled away from the kiss and bit his ear, earning a groan from him.

"Now now, didn't you say you were going to get me back? It's seems as though I'm the one in charge though." I began to unbutton his flannel shirt, my eyes tracing every detail on his chest. I trialed my hand up and down his chest. Suddenly, he blew air on my neck, causing me to gasp and shiver. That was all of a distraction Mark needed. Mark gently held both of my tiny wrist in his warm, big hand above my head.

"Y/n, are you sure you want to keep going?" His voice was deep and music to my ears.

"Only if you're ready."

"Then tell me when to stop when you want me to." His other hand went to my shorts I was wearing and he pressed two fingers against my clothed entranced. I let out a gasp as a shock traveled through my body. He then proceeded to rub, causing me to whimper.

"M-M-Mar-Mark." I panted out.

"Shall we take this to the bedroom?" I didn't trust my voice so I just nodded. He picked me up bridal style and pulled me into a passionate kiss as he carried me to the bedroom. The kiss was rougher and lasted longer than normal but I wasn't complaining. He placed me on the bed gently and hovered over me.

"Now then, are you going to be a good girl and let me be in charge for a bit? Let me have my turn since you had yours."

"Sure. Let's see how long that lasts." Mark took his shirt off completely before taking my shirt off as well. Mark raised an eyebrow when he saw that I was wearing a sports bra instead of a regular one. I crossed my arms, causing my boobs to squish together, as my cheeks heated up.

"Wh-what? Regular bras are uncomfortable and I pop out to easily." I said the last part a bit more quieter. H elet out a chuckle before placing kisses from my stomach up to where the bra was.

"May I?"

"Go ahead, if you can." Before I could blink, he had my bra off. He placed one hand over my left one, kneading the breast and rubbing his thumb over the nipple while placing his mouth over the other one, kissing,sucking, and lightly biting it. I let out a small moan as I lifted my chest up a bit. My hands were buried in his hair, tugging on certain strands. After a moment, he began to nibble and suck the other breast while he had right hand trail up and down my thighs before finally taking my shorts off. He then pulled his mouth away from my breast, causing me to whimper, before going to my collarbone. He then began to rub my clothed entrance, again. I subconsciously bucked my hips.

"You really are enjoying this, aren't you?" I looked down and saw a tent forming his pants.

"And so are you." He lightly tugged at my underwear, waiting to see if I say no or stop. When I didn't, he pulled them off. I felt a sudden cold air hit my entrance but that was replaced when Mark began to palm it. I bit my knuckle as little moans and whimpers escaped. He slowly inserted a finger in me. He held it there for a moment before sliding it in and out slowly and I began to feel warmth building up in my stomach.

"How are you holding up y/n?" I panted a little.

"M-more. please."

"Whatever you say." He then added another finger and sped up the pumping a little.

"Y/n, you are so beautiful. I'm going to make sure that you feel beautiful as well. I see the look on your face whenever we go out in public and you see another woman."

"M-Mark."

"I love you." He suddenly removed his fingers and I let out a whine. I then felt something wet slide against my pussy before entering it. It was Mark's tongue. I let out a loud moan when he moved his tongue.

"M-Mark!" He continued to slide his tongue in and out and up and down and every which way he could. The warmth in my stomach intensified until I finally came. I laid there, panting as Mark cleaned up the mess I made.

"I was right. You do taste divine." I suddenly swapped our positions and had Mark pinned under me. I wore a smirk and my eyes could have match a predator that has their prey in sight.

"You still have you pants on Mark. I though those would have been the first to go." I said as I palmed him through his pants. He released a groan as I unbuckled his jeans and took them off. He had quite the big tent in his boxers.

"Y/n, we don't have to go any farth-aaa!" He let out a gasp before moaning when I pulled his member out of his boxers and kissed the tip. As I continued to kiss the tip, I slid his boxers off completely. I then finally placed it in my mouth.

"Ah! Y-Y/n! You don't have to- aa!" I bobbed my head up and down as Mark let out moan after moan. I loved having this kind of power over him. This went on for about a minute. Before he could cum, I stopped. Mark was a panting mess now. I got a condom out of the nightstand drawer and stared at Mark. He had one eye closed and the other was staring at me. He was panting as well and he wore this handsome smile.

"Do you want to go any farther?"

"Pl-please y/n." I put the condom on his member and got on top of him. I then slowly lowered myself onto it. As Mark let out deep groans, I let out whimpers as it went deeper and deeper. He was so big and this was my first time as well. When it was finally in all of way, I laid on top of Mark, panting and letting out little whimpers. He kissed my cheek and rubbed my back.

"How-how are you feeling?" I let out a couple more pants before being about to speak.

"I'm-I'm fine. Just-just give me a moment." He ran his hand through my hair as he peppered my face with kisses while also apologizing.

"It's ok y/n. I'm sorry." After a moment, I lifted my hips a little before settling back down. Both Mark and I let out a moan. As I continued to ride him, I kept my pace slow. I slowly picked up speed and the sensation was amazing. There was warmth in my belly again that grew with each movement. Mark had a hold on my hips as he thrusted to meet mine, increasing the pleasure.

"Mark, I'm so close!"

"So-so am I!" Finally, we both came. My body went slack as I laid back on top of Mark, panting. He slowly rubbed my back as his breathing steadied. He then slowly pulled out of me and got off of the bed to throw away the used condom. When he returned, he pulled the blanket over us and I snuggled up to him. Mark held me close and kissed the top of my head.

"That was amazing."

"Yeah. So, do you feel beautiful?" I let out a chuckle.

"Yeah. Thank you." 


	34. Chapter 34

A few hours past when Mark and I woke up. I was a bit sore down there but I could manage. When I got out of bed, I realized that I was still naked.

 

_Shit......Fuck it. I'm taking a shower._

 

I gathered some clean clothes and went to the bathroom.

"I'm taking a shower Mark."

"Can I join you?" He asked jokingly.

"Sure." I started the water and climbed in. Mark looked a bit flustered but he joined me as well.

"Hey Mark, can you sit down?" I asked as I poured shampoo onto my hand.

"Uh sure?" As soon as he sat down, I went behind him and began to lather his hair.

"You like this?"

"Only when you do it." Once his hair was clean, I began to clean mine. After a few minutes, both Mark and I were clean. We got out and as I was drying off, Mark began to get dressed.

"I'm going to go record some more videos today."

"No duh Mark. I'm going to go grocery shopping. We're low on peanut butter." I gave Mark a look at the last sentence. He shrugged his shoulders and pecked my lips.

"Be safe." I pulled my switchblade out of my pant pocket.

"Don't worry. Besides, I'll be in a populated area." Mark didn't look too sure.

"I'll be fine. If it make you feel better, I'll put you on speed dial." Mark let out a sigh and pulled me into a hug.

"I-I just don't want to lose you."

"You wont lose me Mark. I always stand my ground. I don't give in." I kissed his cheek before leaving the bathroom once I was fully dressed. I then left the apartment and began to make my to the grocery store.

 

_Hmmmm , it's about 3 now. I hope Lauren is ok._

 

I just continued to walk, lost in my thoughts about what happened this morning. I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts when I heard yelling. My eyes focused on three figures in front of me. Lauren was on the ground, in front of her stood the crazy chic and in between them, protecting Lauren was a third girl. She had dark blue hair in a ponytail, ripped jeans, a Pierce The Veil shirt, and her brown eyes showed both fear and anger. Lauren seemed to have various cuts on her arms and so was the other girl. I felt so angry. I quickly ran over and towered over the chic before she could take another step closer to the kids. I pulled my switchblade out and brandished it.

"Back off. I wont let you harm them."

"Mom be careful!"

"Don't worry dear, I'll be fine. Jen?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Take Lauren to your place. Also, don't call the cops."

"Mommy?"

"Come on Lauren, get on my back. I'll carry you." Jen picked Lauren up and put Lauren on her back.

"NO! GET BACK HERE!" The chic charged at them, knife ready to stab, but I intervened. I wrapped my arms around her waist and threw her the other direction. Jen started to run off.

"Don't tell your dad Lauren!"

"Ok!"

"HOW DARE YOU!?" She tried to stab me but I blocked it with my blade.

"Not happening. Besides, how dare me? How dare you try to harm my daughter and her friend." I shoved her backwards. Once she got her footing, she charged again at me and swung the knife horizontally. I dodged as though I was playing limbo. I quickly kicked my leg up, kicking the knife out of her hand, causing it to spin in the air. I caught it with my other hand and I pointed both weapons at her. Before she could react, I put both weapons in my pockets and grabbed her. I turned my body and tossed her. I was able to throw her a good few feet away. I then quickly booked it, catching up to Lauren and Jen after about a minute or two of running. They seemed to have been having a conversation but stopped once I was in earshot.

"Mom!"

"Miss L/n!"

"I'm ok. Also, you can just call me y/n if you want. I think we can stop running though."

"Ok." Jen set Lauren on the ground before sitting down, panting.

"Thank you Jen."

"No problem Lauren." I looked at Lauren and Jen's wounds, thank full that they were only scraps and not actually cuts like I thought at first.

"Well I'm glad that you both are ok."

"No thanks to me." Lauren mumbled. Jen immediately hugged her and I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok dear. How about you two go for icecream before going to Jen's house?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you mom."


	35. Chapter 35

I gave Lauren a twenty so she and Jen could get some icecream at the shop nearby. I then walked to the store to pick up some peanutbutter and other stuff. As I went up and down the aisles, I examined myself.

 

_ I'm unharmed this time but Lauren and Jen... This needs to end and fast. How though?.......Fuck it! I'll worry about that later. _

 

I found where the hotsauce was and I let out a sigh.

"Mark, what's with you and hotsauce?" I asked myself as I searched for the correct one. When I finally found everything I needed, I went to the check out stand. My phone started to ring so I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey mom, Jen's parents would like to know why I have pepper spray. What do I say?"

"Self defense."

"I already said that but they wont accept that as an answer."

"Ok, then say that I gave it to you for self defense."

"Ok."

"Also, if they continued to question you, have them call me."

"Ok mom, bye."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and paid for everything. I then walked back to Mark's place caring two paper bags full of groceries. Mark was still recording when I got back. I began to put the groceries  away when a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. I let out a giggle as Mark nuzzled my neck.

"Hey Mark, did you miss me?" He kissed my cheek.

"Always. Thank you for going shopping."

"No problem. Anyway, something is on your mind Mark. What is it?" He lout out a chuckle before turning me around and kissing me on the lips.

"I can't keep anything away from you, can I?"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I was wondering..... if you would like to move in with me." I thought for a moment before smiling.

"Sure, I would love to." Mark let out a sigh of relief before picking me up by my waist and kissing me. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? Did you think I would say 'no'?"

"Well, uh, I." I let out a chuckle before kissing him. He then set me down but still held my waist.

"I love you."

"I love you too. Oh, since Lauren wont be here and it's just the two of us....."

"Let's build a pillow fort!" We both shouted at the same time. The whole time we were creating the fort, we were a giggling mess. Once the fort was made, Mark and I climbed inside. I rested my head on his shoulder, a soft smile on my face as I relaxed. Mark ran a hand through my hair as he placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

"Do you think Lauren is having fun?"

"I hope so. Jen seems like a good person though."

"That's good. Wait, is Jen a boy or a girl?"

"Hm? I didn't ask Jen their preferred pronouns. I know I can't please everyone but that doesn't mean I can't try." Mark stared at me before letting out a chuckle and hugged me.

"How can you be so sweet?"

"The same can be asked about you." That's basically what we did all day. playing games, watching movies, goofed off, and cuddling. I was now laying in bed while Mark took a shower. Lauren was still at Jen's and I hoped she was having fun.

 

_I got lucky this time. If I was there any later, who knows what could have happened._

 

"You ok y/n?"

"Huh? Yeah, just thinking." Mark laid next to me in bed and cuddled up close to me. I placed a kiss on his jaw, causing him to shiver slightly. I let out a giggle as I played with his recently cleaned hair.

"Do you want a repeat of earlier?" Mark asked in a deep voice. I could have sworn I heard a growl.

"A repeat of what? Me being in control while you squirm?" I asked coyly. Mark let out a chuckle before nuzzling my neck.

"God, I love you." 

"I'm so glad that you love God, but what about me?" I asked jokingly.

"Yep. Definitely love you." We both let out a short laugh. I then leaned into Mark, placing my head on his bare chest. He placed his hand on my back and rubbed up and down gently and slowly.

"I'm so glad that I found you." His chest rumbled when he spoke.

"Same here." I said tiredly. His gentle heartbeat lured me into sleep.

 


	36. Chapter 36

It's been about a month since the last incident with that psycho 'fan'. I was able to find out her first name. Blair. I was also able to find out her last initial was G and she has a record of violent out breaks. There hasn't been any other incidents recently, though that's only because we haven't seen her.

 

_There's no way that she just vanished. The longer this goes on, the more worried I become. At least Lauren and Jen are safe. Also, Lauren took quick to the switchblade once I started to train her. Jen.....from what I've seen and heard she's a pretty cool kid. The two of them are almost irresponsible. It's pretty cute actually._

 

"Hey mom, Jen and I are going to go to the mall for a while."

"Ok, just don't stay past 6."

"Ok."

"Thank you y/n." The two girls left, giggling.

"Don't get lost!"

"We wont!" I sat on the couch, finishing a story I was writing. Jen usually stays here since her parents are a bit 'noisy' in one way or another. Mark and I don't mind though. She's a very kind kid. Also, her family isn't too pleased that I let Lauren have a switchblade.

 

_She's my child and it's not like she's a violent killer. She hasn't even used it on anyone yet._

 

Mark came out of his recording room and his hair was a mess.

"You ok Mark? Do you want a massage?"

"Yeah. I need one." His voice was tired. He sat next to me, facing sideways so I could have access to his back. As soon as I began to knead his upperback, he let out a sigh that turned into a moan.

"Mark, you've been over working yourself. Take a break."

"But-"

"No buts. Play a simple, relaxing game. Ok?" My hands traveled to the middle of his back.

"I could get used to this." An idea popped into my head. I smirked as my hands went to his thighs, still massaging. I then began to lightly nibble on his ear. He let out a deep moan. I then moved to his neck, loving every sound that came out of his mouth. Once a hickey was formed, I stopped. He let out a whine that was really adorable.

"Sorry Mark, but we cant tonight. I'm still a little sore from last time." His pouting face turned into a smirk.

"You mean when I was in control?"

"Hey, it's only fair that we swap every now and again."

"True." Mark then moved me to his lap, and began to massage my shoulders.

"I think it's only fair that I return the favor." He then lightly bit my collarbone before kissing and sucking on the same spot. I let out a gasp before moaning.

"M-Mark." I whined. He let out a chuckle as he stopped 'torchering' my neck before pecking me on the lips. Then he held my waist tightly.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Suddenly, my phone started to ring. It was Lauren.

"Whats up?" I could hear crying and yelling in the background.

"Wait, is everything ok?"

"About that, Jen's parents kicked her out of the house. She's going to be staying with her older brother but he wont be here until tomorrow."

"I understand. Just let me explain this to Mark real quick. Also, protect Jen."

"Ok." I set the phone down and looked at Mark. His face showed concern.

"Lauren was wondering if Jen could stay here for the day. Her parents kicked Jen out."

"Of course. She is more than welcome here." I put the phone back to my ear.

"Did you hear that Lauren?"

"Yep. We're on our way. Also, Jen has all of her stuff with her."

"Good. See you guys in a few." I hung up the phone and got off of Mark's lap.

"I'm going to go make some tea. Jen must be stressed out." I let out a sigh as I began to prepare the tea. Once the tea was made, the door opened and in came Lauren and Jen. I handed them both a cup of freshly made tea.

"Jen, are you going to be ok?" She had dried up tear trails down her cheeks, her eyes were red and puffy, her hair was a total mess and she appeared to have a hand print on her cheek but she was smiling when Lauren hugged her.

"Y-yeah. I have Lauren on my side."

\------------------------------------------------------

Hey guys, real quick. For the next three chapters, I may not have enough time to write, type, and edit them so the schedule might be a bit wonky. Sorry about that guys but I will still try and get what I can done. Thank you all for giving my story a read and may you all be smiled upon.


	37. Chapter 37

Lauren had took Jen to her room to relax. I was in the kitchen, making them some food. Mark was editing his videos[](http://www.wattpad.com/mystories?compose=true&id=118967047#) but I could tell he wasn't too pleased about what happened to Jen. I'm not either.

 

_Kicking your 14 or 15 year old child out of the house and slapping her is not excusable. Jen is so nice too. What could she have done....... wait a minute......fuck. I hope that's not that reason. If it is......._

 

I let out a sigh, relaxing my tight grip on the kitchen knife that I didn't know I was holding.

"First Blair and now this. For fuck sake.......Oh well." I picked up the plate of sandwiches and went to Lauren room. I then knocked on her door.

"Lauren, Jen, I got food for you guys." I heard a click and Lauren opened the door. Jen was on her bed, a X-box controller in her hand. I handed Lauren the plate and gave a smile.

"Try not to make a mess. Jen, are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah. Thank you." Both Lauren and Jen looked nervous about something but I decided not to question it.

"Jen, if you want to tell me what happened, just let me know. You don't have to tell me though." She gave a nod but didn't make any eye contact. I then left the room and went to the bedroom I share with Mark.

 

_Ok. I'm almost positive that's it's-_

 

My phone started to ring. It was Jessica.

"Hey Jes, what's up?"

"Look y/n.....I'm so sorry but......dammit, this is all my fault!"

"Jes?"

"Y/n, it's about Blair. She.........I........fuck it! I locked her up in her room for like a month but she isn't there anymore. Keep an eye open for her and watch Lauren and Jen carefully."

"Jes what are talking about? Jes.....Jessica?" She had hung up the phone. I sat on the bed and let out a sigh.

 

_Ok. Now stuff is getting more confusing. Does Jes have a connection with Blair?........Wait! Blair G, Jessica Gorgan...... BLAIR GORDAN! WHAT THE FUCK?!_

 

"Y/n, are you ok?" Mark asked ass he walked in.

"Mark, I'm almost positive that Jessica and Blair are related."

"Wait, what?" Mark asked as he sat next to me on the bed.

"So, after the incident, Jes somehow knew about it when no one told her, and she was so determined to get me out of the library. Also, Blair's last name begins with G and Jessica's last name is Gordan."

"That could all be a coincidence."

"She just called me and said 'it's my fault. I locked her up in her room for a month'. Blair has been gone for a month now Mark."

"Ok. Not a coincidence. So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know what we can do now. Jessica said to keep an eye out for Blair. Anyway, our bigger concern is to keep Lauren and Jen safe." Mark gave a nod.

"Yeah. There's no telling what Blair will do."

"Or when." The rest of the day was a bit uneasy but knowing that Lauren and Jen where safe made me feel a little better. That night, I couldn't sleep. Something was haunting my mind.

 

_What are we going to do about Blair? What can we do legally? Are Lauren and Jen going to be safe if this keeps up? What exactly happened to Jen at her place? Did I leave the stove on? What the fuck?! Go to sleep brain!_

 

Finally, I fell asleep. I later woke up to Mark shaking my shoulder. He looked worried, maybe even a little scared.

"Wh-what's wrong Mark?" I asked tiredly.

"I can't find the kids." My eyes shot open and I quickly sat up, bonking my head aginst Mark's.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry love." I jumped out of bed and went to Lauren's room. They were indeed gone.

"Fuck!" 


	38. Chapter 38

My heart was pounding as I clenched my teeth. My eyes darted quickly around the room, picking up every detail. The room was a mess, almost as if there was a struggle. Maybe there was. I took a deep breath in and let it out, calming my nerves so I could think.

 

_ Ok. I need to think. What happened here? Where did they go? Are they ok? These are the questions I need to answer. There was definitely a struggle here so that means that they were taken against their will. There also doesn't seem to be any blood here. That's good. _

 

"Y/n, how can you be so calm?!" I turned to face Mark. He looked so frantic and just a wreck. His face was pale, his eyes were constricted, and he was pulling at his hair. My eyes soften as I let out a sigh.

"Mark, we need to be calm so we can think clearly, Ok? I know that they'll ok for a while. Jen and Lauren are strong and smart. We need to first figure out who took them and where before we can do anything else. We can't file a missing person either since we have to wait at least 24 hours and we don't have that kind of time." Mark stared at me while his breathing regulated. I let out a sigh and turned back to the room.

 

_I'm freaking out too Mark. I wish I be calm but.....I don't know where to even begin to look. Fuck! I hate this! Why is it when someone needs me the most, I can't do anything? Fuck!.......Wait.......I swear if she......._

 

"Jes........Jes!"

"What?" I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

"I'm calling Jes Mark. I have a hunch." She finally answered.

"Jes, I think Blair took Jen and Lauren."

"Come to the library. I'll help you look for them."

"You got it." I hung up the phone and grabbed Mark's arm.

"We're going to the library. Come on." We ran out of the apartment and quickly drove to the library. Jes was waiting for us outside. She hopped into the car and handed Mark an address.

"Look, I'm so sorry about all of this. It's just that, Blair can get very possessive and obsessive over certain things."

"Like Mark."

"Yes, like Mark. When she thinks that what ever she is obsessive over is threatened, she.....well.....lashes out."

"Where are we going anyway?"

"It's a warehouse. She often goes there to calm down."

"Jessica, can we call the cops on her?"

"I-I don't know. She my only child and she's all I have left since....." She became quiet.

 

_I'm not liking where this is going. What are we going to do? Dammit._

 

The car came to a stop and I immediately jumped out. Mark and Jes followed after as I ran into the warehouse. Once in, I saw Lauren fighting Blair blade to blade. Jen was in the corner, wrapping a iece of torn cloth around her arm. I didn't want this fight to continue any longer so I chucked my switchblade at Blair's leg. She let out a scream as she fell to the ground. Lauren looked at me in shock before smiling.

"Mom!" Lauren ran up and hugged me. Jen then made her way towards us.

"Jen, how are you holding up?" I asked.

"I've been worse." She let out a laugh as Lauren hugged her.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU FUCKING DYKES!!" Blair charged at us with both my switchblade and her knife raised.

 

_Fuck._

 

My posture changed and I got ready to defend but Mark beat me to it. He came out of no where and punched Blair, knocking her out. I relaxed and let out a sigh. I then took my switchblade back.

"Mine." The two girls looked a little uneasy.

"Are you two ok?"

"Well...uh..you um..."

"We're both gay mom." Lauren stated.

"Ok. So am I."

"Wh-what?"

"Yep. I'm pansexual. Wait, Jen is that why you got kicked out?"

"Yes." Her voice was low.

"Well then, looks like I'm going to have a little chit-chat with your parents. Oh and Jen, if you want to date my daughter, treat her well."

"You got it."

"And Lauren, treat Jen well too."

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Hey guys, real quick. Tomorrow's chapter may come out late and I'm sorry if it does. Anyway, incase you guys didn't know, I also wrote a GameGrumps reader insert and I was wondering something. If it's not asking too much, could you guys do a compare and contrast between the readers in each story? You don't have to. Again, thank you all so much for giving my story a read and may you all be smiled upon.


	39. Chapter 39

Blair and Jessica were sent to the authorities to decide what they will do about Blair. The four of us then went back to the apartment. Once inside, I went to the kitchen sink to clean the blood off of my switchblade and Lauren and Jen went to Lauren's room to play video games.

"So y/n, you're gay?" Mark asked.

"Hm? Yeah, Lauren and Jen are safe and I have you and-Oh wait, you meant the other meaning for gay. Yep." Mark let out a chuckle and hugged me. I giggled a little before sighing.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm going to have a little chat with Jen's parents tomorrow. I don't know how it's going to go. I do know that one chat wont change their minds but it's a start. When it comes to situations like this one, you can't be passive about it." Mark kissed my cheek.

"You're very right on that statement."

"Go record some videos Mark. I have some work to do."

"Ok." Mark left for his recording room. I went to the couch and pulled out my notebook and pencil. For the next two hours, I was writing down things I could say to Jen's parents. I was making sure I had the main points to talk about. I also did research on Bible passages in case they decided to use that against me. There was a knock at the door. I got up and looked through the peephole. On the other side of the door stood a tall male who appeared to be in his early 20's. He had long black hair tied in a ponytail and a purple bang that was covering one of his blue eyes. He wore ripped skinny jeans and a My Chemical Romance shirt. I opened the door.

"Are you Jen's brother?" He gave a nod.

"Yeah. I'm Jake. Thank you for watching her....."

"Y/n. My name is y/n and it wasn't a problem. She is a really sweet girl. Come on in and take a seat on the couch. I'll go get Jen." He gave another nod and sat on the couch while I went to Lauren's room. The two girls were on the bed, playing videogames but hey paused it when they saw me.

"Jen, your brother is here."

"Am I allowed to still come over?"

"Of course. Just call ahead of time, ok?"

"You got it." She then kissed Lauren's cheek before getting up.

"See you at school tomorrow Lauren." Then she left. Lauren's eyes were wide as a blush took over her whole face. She placed a hand over where Jen kissed her.

"B-bye." She stuttered out. Once Jen and Jake left, I turned to Lauren.

"If you think that's amazing, it only gets better."

"M-Mom!"

"What? I was talking about that you'll get more kisses. Anyway, be careful when you go to school tomorrow. Not everyone will accept you but just remember the ones that do. No matter how few they may be, they will always mean more than the ones that don't."

"Thank you mom." I hugged her.

"No problem." The rest of the day was just the three of us goofing off. It was fun though. Blair was gone, Lauren and Jen are dating now. Happy times.


	40. Chapter 40

The next morning I decided to let Mark sleep in. I quietly got out of his warm grasp and bed. I went to Lauren's room and lightly shook her shoulder.

"Wake up. I'll make you some breakfast." She let out a yawn and sat up. While she woke up and got dressed, I went to the kitchen to cook up some eggs.

"Hey mom?" Lauren asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Yes?" She sat at the table.

"Can we pick up Jen and drive her to school?"

"Sure. I just need her address."

"Working on it." Lauren said as she stared at her phone. I let out a chuckle as I handed her the plate of food.

"Thank you mom."

"No problem." I went to the couch and sat down. I let out a sigh as a headache formed. I held my head as the room began to spin. Only when Lauren spoke did everything settle.

"Are you ok mom?"

"Y-yeah. Just a small headache." She gave a nod but there seemed to be a frown on her face. I stood up and stretched.

"I'm fine Lauren. Honest."

"....Ok mom. I trust you." She then left to go brush her hair. I ran a hand through my own.

 

_The hell was that? Calm down. It was probably nothing much. I should be fine. Hopefully._

 

Once it was time to go, Lauren gave me the address and we drove to pick up Jen.

"Thank you for picking me up." Jen said as climbed into the car.

"No problem. Be careful at school though."

"We will. I have Lauren on my side."

"We're stronger together."

"Lauren, that's hella cheesy."

"Shut up." They both started to laugh as I continued to drive. Once at the school, climbed out of the car, holding hands. The same group of girls from last time was there and they stared at Lauren and Jen. I could sense the hostility in the air so I was about to get out of the car as well. Jen pulled out her phone and music started to play. The two really mean girls from months ago stood in front of them, glaring.

"Come on, let's go. Just me and you." Lauren sang.

"Let's go. Two on two." Jen and Lauren sang together.

"Come and try to hit us if you're able."

"Can't you see that my relationship is stable."

"I think you're just made cus you're single." Jen then kissed Lauren's cheek again. I then let out a happy sigh as they continued the song.

 

Things seem to be ok, for now. If anything happens, I hope they'll tell me.

 

I drove back to the apartment and once out, I sent a text to Lauren.

 

_Y/n: If anything happens, let me know. Please. Love you._

 

I then went into the apartment. Since it was only 7:30, Mark was still asleep. I took out my laptop and began to watch Youtube videos as I waited for Mark to wake up. At 8:20, I felt arms wrap around my waist and a head placed it self on my shoulder.

"Morning Mark." He kissed my cheek.

"Morning."

"Do you want me to cook you some breakfast?"

"Nope. I can do that. You relax." He gave my shoulder a pat and walked to the kitchen.

"Love you!" I shouted from the couch."

"Love you too!" He shouted back. I went back to the video I was watching, a JackSepticeye video to be more precise. After a while, Mark sat next to me holding two plates of eggs and bacon.

"You're watching Jack? He's pretty cool. I'm glad that he's my friend."

"I bet. He seems like a cool guy."

"Here. I may not cook as good as you but..." I took the plate he was offering and pecked his lips.

"Thank you. You're cooking is great anyway." I then took a bite out of the eggs. He let out a chuckle.

"Thank you." Everything went fine until about noon when I got a text from Lauren.

 

_Lauren: Mom, Jen and I got into a fight at school. We won and I didn't use the switchblade. I didn't let them hit Jen at all either. No one saw it too._

 

I let out a chuckle before texing back.

 

_Y/n: I'm glad that you two are not hurt. When I pick you two up though, I want an explaination on what happened. OK? Also, I'm going to chat with Jen's parents in a little bit._

_Lauren: Ok. Also, Jen says 'Good Luck'._


	41. Chapter41

"You sure you don't want me to go with you?" Mark asked as I got ready to meet Jen's parents at the coffee shop.

"I'm sure Mark. You need to stay here in case something happens and the girls need to be picked up early." Mark let out a sigh before kissing my cheek.

"Ok. Just be safe." I pecked his lips.

""No promises." I then left the apartment and got into my car.

 

_I hope this goes ok. Then again, that's why I chose a public place. It should help my situation a bit. Sure I'll be two on one but as long as I stand my ground, I should be ok. Hopefully._

 

I soon made it to the coffee shop and I waited inside. Within a few minutes, Jen's parents, Joseph Seagull and Andrea Nercella. Both appeared to be in their 30's and thy both had this air of strictness. Their brown eyes stared at me with questions. They sat across from me.

"So, miss l/n, what did you want to talk about?" Joe asked.

"About your daughter Jen."

"We're sorry about her. We understand if you want to keep Lauren away from Jen for Lauren's safety." I let out a sigh.

"That's not what I meant. Why do you think Lauren is in danger?"

 

_I wonder what their logic is on this one._

 

"Simple. Jen might convert Lauren into being gay and who knows what they'll do."

 

_That's not how it works. Oh well, it's nothing new. Still stupid though._

 

"What do you think being gay is like?"

"They're confused and sinful."

"What if they don't have a religion?"

"Still confused and terrible.

"But Jen has always been Jen."

"No! She's become more distant."

"Well, first of all, she's becoming a teenager and second, maybe you are as well."

"You're right. We should have been more careful about what she watched or who she talked to."

"Nope. That wont work. Jen is still Jen and she's just fine the way she is. You can't keep a leash on her. If you do, you might choke her."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"How does Jen being gay affect you?"

 

_The big question._

 

"Like we failed."

"At what?"

"Being parents."

 

_You did, just not in the way you two think._

 

"How?"

"Isn't it obvious? She's gay!"

"That's who she is. Saying that you failed as parents because she's gay is like saying you failed as parents because your son, Jake, eyes are blue. They're born that way. Besides, it's not like you have to worry about Jen being pregnant as a teen."

"Then we wont get grand-kids!"

"You still could but that's her choice if she wants to have kids, not yours."

"Just like how she chose to be gay."

 

_Not this fucking shit._

 

"Wrong. You cant chose who you love and how you love them."

"I woman can't have sex with another woman."

"Yes they can, just in a different way. Also, Jen is only a teenager and is love really just about sex and reproducing?"

"Well, no-"

"Is it your business?"

"No."

"Now then, why did you kick your 15 year old daughter of the house and hit her in the face?"

"Because the Lord will not tolerate gays in the house."

"Since when?"

"It's in the Bible."

"Where?"

"In plenty of passages."

"Are you sure that you're interpreting them correctly? Also, they were originally written in a different language so maybe there was a translation error."

"We're sure that we're interpreting them correctly."

"So, you're going to let a book tell you how to live your life?"

"Yep."

 

_Big mistake._

 

"So unless I'm mistaken, you two are divorced right? Isn't divorce a sin and the woman should be stoned to death for punishment?"

"Well uh-"

"Also, wearing multi-polyester clothing is a sin too. So is eating shrimp. Also, the marriage only counts if the wife is a virgin."

"Well you see uh-"

"Besides, what about 'Love thy neighbor'? Or, 'Judge not'? Also, what gives you the right to hit your daughter in the face just because she's gay?"

"I was angry." Joe said.

 

_So am I but I'm not kicking your asses right now. Then again, the only asses these two have are their faces and their personality._

 

"You two have failed as parents. By hitting and abandoning your daughter, for no reason, because you can't handle who they are when it's not affecting anyone in a negative way." I stood up and left the coffee shop before I could do anything I would regret.


	42. Chapter 42

Once in the car, I let out a sigh trying to relax. My phone started to ring and it was Mark.

"What's up Mark?"

"I was just wondering how you are."

"I'm fine. A little stressed but fine."

"Do you think you'll be up to record?"

"Sure. I need a few laughs."

"Ok. I'll get everything set up."

"See you soon." I hung up the phone and started up the car.

 

_Fuck them. Before I could leave they shouted a few things at me. The nerve. But, what if-No! There's no way they're right. Mark loves her. He loves all of his fans. He-he doesn't judge others either. I know they're wrong.......Then why is it still in my head?_

 

"What if your daughter was gay?"

"I would still love her and accept her."

"Well you must be gay then."

"That might be but there are no connections to it."

"You raised your daughter and ours to be gay."

"You can't be raised to be gay. You can be raised to be an ass though." I whispered the last bit.

"What about your boyfriend? He's straight."

"Mark loves and accepts her too."

"Does he really though?"

 

I shook my head, coming back to the present. I then focus on driving, dodging a wall I nearly drove into.

 

_Fuck. Driving is going to be the death of me. I know they're wrong though. The fucking nerve though to accuse me of raising their kid gay. That's not how it works. Also, Mark, I know he loves her. I just know it._

 

I soon made it home. Once inside, Mark pulled me into a tight hug.

"Welcome back." I pecked his cheek.

"Good to be back. School should not be over for another hour too." Mark gave a nod and we went to the recording room. After a while, my phone rang and it was Lauren.

"Hey, you two ready to be picked up?"

"Yeah."

"Kay. I'll be-" Mark took my phone.

"No, I'll be on my way." He then hung up the phone.

"You relax and I'll get the girls." I let out a chuckle as he handed me my phone back.

"Ok. Be safe."

"I will." He kissed my lips and he gently held my cheeks in his warm hands. After a moment he pulled away before leaving. I got up from the chair and went to the bedroom that I shared with Mark. I laid down on his side of the bed, holding my head as a headache formed. I could feel it pulse.

 

_Dammit. This is worse then the last one. Make it stop! Please._

 

As I laid there, the room began to appear brighter and brighter. It was almost blinding. The walls were become white and I could have sworn I heard a beeping. This continued on for a few minutes before all of it suddenly stopped when the front door opened. I quickly sat up, something I was unable to do, and scanned the room. It no longer had white walls or blinding. It was just.....normal. I let out a sigh as I scratched my head.

"Are you ok y/n?" Mark asked as he entered the room.

"Y-yeah. Just tired." He sat next to me on the bed and began to rub my back.

"Well, Lauren is at Jen's house to study. I can give you a massage if you want?"

"Thank you Mark." I then turned my body so Mark had better access to my back. He then moved me to his lap before kneading my shoulders.

"Y/n, something seems to be on your mind. What is it?"

"The talk with Jen's 'parents' stressed me out. That's all." He kissed my cheek as his hands traveled to the middle of my back. My back arched a little as I let out a hum.

"Well, Jen appreciates it. You did a great job."

"Thank you Mark. I love you." He then kissed my neck.

"I love you too." It was quiet for a moment until Mark spoke up.

"You know, so many people loved the Okami playthrough. Thank you for introducing me to the game and helping me with it."

"I had fun with it. Hey, how many episodes were there?"

"45."

"45?"

"Yeah. It was a long series but all good things must come to an end."

"True. You can stop now Mark. If you want, we can record more videos."

"I think I'll take a nap instead." Mark then laid down, pulling me with him. I let out a giggle as I became comfortable.

"Mind if I join you?" Mark chuckled.

"Please do." So for the next two hours, Mark and I cuddled and slept soundly. Lauren let herself into the apartment since she had her own key and she just went to her own room to relax as well.

 


	43. Chapter 43

When I woke up, I felt fingers going up and down my back. When I opened my eyes, I saw Mark's smiling face. His hair was a bit messed up and his glasses were off.

"How was you nap?" He asked.

"Just what I needed." He let out a chuckle before kissing me on the lips. I sat up and stretched.

"I'm going to go check on Lauren. You have videos to upload." I then hopped out of bed and made my way to Lauren's room. I knocked on her door and she opened it. She seemed to have been in the middle of a game.

"Hey mom."

"Hey Lauren. Now then, we're not going to make this into an argument, but I need to know what happened at school."

"Oh. Come in then." We sat on her bed.

"So, what happened was I was on my way to my 3rd period class when I heard a commotion. I went to check it out and I saw a few girls had cornered Jen. So I ran over and punched one of them and that girl fell to the ground, so I assumed I had knocked her out."

"Lauren, that was a sucker-punch. I would prefer if you didn't use those."

"Sorry."

"It's ok. Continue."

"Ok. So the others tried to fight back but Jen and I stood our ground and won."

"Well, I'm glad that the both of you were unharmed but I feel as though there could have been a better way to resolve the conflict. I'm also going to have to hear Jen's side of the story though, ok?"

"I understand mom. You're right though."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure the school doesn't unnecessarily punish you. I still need to see how much of the right you were in. That was English, right?"

"Close enough." I let out a chuckle as I hugged her. I then stood up and made my way out of her room.

"Wait mom."

"Hm?" I asked as I looked over my shoulder.

"Do you want Jen to come over now?"

"Sure. I can cook some food while we wait."

"Ok." I then left for the kitchen to cook chicken while Jen pulled out her phone. By the tie I was done cooking, there was a knock at the door.

"I got it!" Lauren shouted as she left her room and went to the door. She let Jen in and I plated the food.

"Lauren, can you give this to Mark?" I asked as I handed her a plate of food.

"Sure. Jen, go get some food." Jen lets out a chuckle before sitting at the table. Lauren went to Mark's recording room with a few napkins.

"So Jen, how about you eat first, then we'll chat. Ok?" She gave a nod as she began to eat. Lauren joined her as I began to clean. Soon I was done and so were the girls.

"Ok, Lauren, can you go to your room for a bit? Please."

"Sure. I'll see you in a bit Jen." Lauren then left for her room, not before kissing Jen's cheek though.

"Jen, after we talk, you two can hang out. Fair enough?"

"Yep." They both said as Lauren left.

"So Jen, what's your side of the story?"

"Ok, so I was on my way to my 3rd period class when these group of girls pulled me into a corner in a hallway. They kept throwing insults at me and they wouldn't let me leave. They even threaten to sick their boyfriends to 'make me be straight'." My eyes widen and I pulled Jen into a tight embrace.

"That is wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to begin. I'm going to have a talk with the school about this. Now then, I do believe you but, do you promise that this is true and that you want me to intervene?" She nodded. I patted her head.

"Ok. I fully trust you. Also Jen?"

"Yeah?" She asked as she pulled away slightly to look at me. I smirked as I slipped mace into her jacket pocket.

"Just in case anything happens." I said with a smile before winking.

"Thank you." I pulled away completely from the hug.

"Now then, go be with Lauren." Jen than ran off to Lauren's room and I heard laughter coming from the room.

 

_Ok then. This is fucked up so badly. I need to get the school involved in this before something does happen. Something that can't be undone. Those fuckers! You can't make someone gay or straight! Besides, threatening something like 'that' is over the line by more than a mile. I just...just...fuck! No words can fully express how angry that makes me. Maybe I should get Mark and Jake involved._


	44. Chapter 44

So after talking to Mark and Jake about what happened, we went to the school to chat with the principal. We sat in his office while the girls were in a different room. We explained to him what we knew about the situation.

"So, Mr Sycle, what do you think we should do?"

"Send Lauren and Jen to a different school."

"What would that solve? First of all, it's May and there's only about a month left of school. Second, the other girls wont learn a lesson." I stated.

"Well, the other girls didn't do anything wrong. You daughter, Lauren, started the fight." Before I could speak up, Mark did.

"I taught out daughter to protect loved ones. Besides, are we just going to wait until something bad does happen?"

"Well then, Jen should not have made herself easy to attack." This time, Jake spoke up.

"Don't start with me with that victim shaming bullcrap."

"Are you even able to raise your sister?"

"Why would you ask that?" He asked though gritted teeth. I don't blame him for getting angry.

"Well first of all, your hair isn't the most presentable. Besides, wouldn't the parents be better role models?"

"No. Just no. Jen's parents are not good role models, at all. They kicked her out of the home and slapped her because she was gay. Also, why aren't you punishing the other girls?"

"I think it's best if Lauren and Jen went back into the closet." The room fell silent after that statement. The three of us were in shock.

 

_This fucker._

 

 

"Why?"

"For their own safety."

"Why punish the victims instead of teaching the kids how to treat people?" He simply stared at us, thinking of an excuse.

"Threats are merely words. Nothing more." My eyes sharpen.

"Sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me. We all know how much bullcrap that is. Words are mentally scarring. They stick to you. They echo in your head. The more silent you are about them, the louder they will echo. They threatened to have their boyfriends rape Jen to make her straight. How is that ok?" I asked.

"They only threatened. Besides, teens say things all the time."

"People also mean a lot of their threats. We had a teen threaten to hurt us and she did. She nearly killed us and Lauren and Jen." Mark pointed out.

"If you don't punish those girls, I'll make you regret it. Does that scare you?" Jake asked.

"Yes, because you're a delinquent. The girls who made the threat aren't. They're straight A students."

"I am no delinquent. When I was in high school, I had straight A's as well. Even in collage, well except for a few B's but that's besides the point. I never got detention. Listen, grades don't mean anything about who you are. I know people who had good grades and they could be jerks but there were also some cool ones. Same with people with bad grades. You can't judge people based on their grades, age group, sexuality, or anything else like that. You can only judge people by who they actually are."

"Look, we're done here. Either you do the right thing, or the district will be notified." We then left the office, taking Lauren and Jen with us. We later found out that Lauren and Jen are suspended for a day, since they still got in a fight, while the other girls are suspended for a week and are going to be questioned.

I was in the living room, on the couch with Mark and Lauren.

"I've come a long way."

"Huh?" Mark and Lauren asked.

"Well, when I first came here, I didn't have a place to stay. I was in the cold and dark. Then Mark found me and let me stay here. It's a lot warmer and brighter in here. I was able to open up and be myself after a while. I made friends and family as well. When I had struggles, instead of running, I faced them and won. I'm not alone anymore because I have friends and family and the community as well." Mark and Lauren hugged me tightly.

"We'll always be by your a side." I hugged them back before pulling away and standing up.

"I'll be back later. I need to take a little drive to unstress about earlier." Both Mark and Lauren looked sad before smiling.

"We'll be waiting." They said. I then left.


	45. Chapter 45

I got into my car and began to drive. Driving or going for a walk usually helps ease my nerves and mind. Suddenly, my head began to pound. My vision began to be corrupted. Objects were shifting and changing, almost melting in some cases. My rib cage began to hurt as my heart was thrashing against it. During all of this, I failed to notice the truck coming towards me until it was too late. The truck and I collided. There were screams, loud noises, and blood. Lots of pain spiked at different parts of my body. My world went black before turning white.

My took in my surroundings. I was in the hospital and I was on one of the beds. I was also hooked up to a heart monitor. I sat up and my body felt very sore. Almost as if I hadn't used it in a while. I looked to my left and became extremely confused and scared. There was a calender and it read April 2015.

 

_What?! It was May though! What...who...wheres...why..., I..I..I-_

 

"Oh, Miss y/n, you're awake." I turned my head and saw a doctor walking in.

"Awake?"

"Yes. You have been in a coma for a good week. That truck hit you hard."

"A coma?! But, but.....How is it April? It was May!" I was becoming frantic.

"I'm very sorry Miss y/n but that was not real. You were in a coma." My eyes widened before I downcast them.

"Do you want me to call someone to pick you up?" He asked.

"N-no. Not right now. I need a minute to think." He gave a nod.

"Again, I'm sorry about this." He then left.

 

_A coma? A coma!......That explains the headaches and weird visions but....Mark, Lauren, Jen.......I remember feeling so lost in this dark, cold world but Mark pulled me out of it and showed me a brighter and warmer side of it with his videos, smiles, and laughs._

 

A small smile graced my lips.

 

_Thanks to Mark, I was able open up a bit more and feel happiness for myself. Lauren was part of the community and I felt welcomed around her. She was newer to the fandom as well and I was able to return the favor. Being able to make her feel happiness and welcomed was amazing. She was a good friend of mine too. Then came Blair......In the past I would normally run away or avoid conflict but.... felt braver and more confident being about of Mark's community and also knowing that Mark believes in his fans, even me, helps a lot. It's hard to believe in yourself when no one else does. Then when Jen was in trouble, I did my best to help. I was even able to bring others with me to help defend Lauren and Jen. Mark has helped me until I was strong enough to stand my own ground, but I also am not alone. Even with all of his encouraging words, it was hard to believe in myself. I was able to learn a valuable lesson though. You can have all of the praise in the world, but that wont mean a thing if you don't believe in yourself. Mark believes in his fans, and so do I........Dammit. That world may not have been real, but it was like a timeline for me._

 

I got out of the hospital bed, my legs wobbly since I haven't used them for a week, and went to the mirror nearby. I had white bandages on my head and on my left arm where Blair stabbed me in the dream. There was a set of clean clothes near the bed as well. I got changed and the doctor knocked on the door.

"Come in." He came in carrying a laptop, headphones, and a charger.

"I thought you might want some entertainment. You will be staying here for at least a day to make sure you're ok." He handed me the stuff before leaving.

"Thank you." I whispered, my voice still a little shaky from lack of use." I sat on the bed and got everything set up.

"Wow, Mark has 7.4 million subs right now......It's good to be back."

"Hello everybody, my name is Markiplier and welcome to-" So for the rest of today and tomorrow, I caught up on missed videos from Mark, Jack, and the Grumps. So many laughs we made during that time.

 

I'm glad that I'm awake now. I do miss that world but I have this one. I'll do just fine without Mark being my boyfriend. Besides, there are people here who miss me. Lauren has Jen with her as well. This world may not be as good as the one I created, but it's the only world I have. I have to make it good. I can't do it alone and I won't be. I have my friends and family. Mark believes in me as well. He may not know me, but he still believes, and so do I. I will stay strong.

 

 

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Hey guys, this is in fact the last chapter of this story. I enjoyed writing this story so much and I know that a lot of you enjoyed reading it. Sadly though, all good things must come to an end. Anyway, I will still be posting more stories, oneshots (I'm working on one right now), poems, original work, and other stuff as well. Also, I think you guys should check out http://www.wattpad.com/user/0Tsukuyomi0 . She's a really good friend of mine (known her since 2nd grade) and her work is pretty good. She helped me with a lot of my stories so I owe her a lot of thanks. Again, I'm sorry that I have to end story, especially the way that I did. If you guys have any questions or requests, just let me know. Thank you all for reading my story and may you all be smiled upon.


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